Gospell of the kingdome of God After that Iohn vvas taken BV. Now the Lord himselfe commeth forth to whom Iohn had opened and prepared the way that preachinge the Kingdome of God hee might nowe begin to raygne in the elect But before all thinges the tyme and the place is here noted The time as After that Iohn was taken Luke 4. The place that is to say Galile This is to be noted that the Lorde gaue place to the fury and extreme rage of Herode departing out of the way for a time and that he was led of the spirit as Luke expresseth By the which we are taught that if we do truely coÌ„mit our selues vnto the Lord his spirit shall safely direct vs in all things whether we flee or abyde incounter with our enemies For so the spirit led Christ our Lord and so also it led the Apostles from the fury rage of their persecuters that they myghte preache farther and sometimes made theÌ„ stand to it stoutly voyde of al feare in somuch that they were conquerers of their enemies either by lyfe or death That flight by the which the glory of Christ is deminished is vnworthy of a Christian and neuer vsed of the saynts but when thou doest so flee that thou mayest the more conueniently set forth the glory of God seeking nothing that pertayneth to thy selfe but only seekest to discharge thy office keeping thy selfe vntill thy hower be come thou dost nothing but that Christe did here at thys time at other times also Accordinge to whose example the Apostle Paule fled out of DAMASCO Act. 9 Looke by what spirite these men fled by the same spirite also they afterwardes of their owne accord offred themselues to their Persecuters Iohn 18. Euen so Chryst willingly met with those that sought his death Paule coulde bee stayed by no meanes from his Iourney which hee tooke to Hierusalem Act. 20 21. although hee knewe that tribulation imprisonment was there prepared for him A Christian therefore ought so to flee that hee hinder not the glory of Christ to the setting forth whereof hee is consecrated Wherefore we must prayâ—â—â— to the father that he will vauchsafe to gieue vnto vs that good spirit which may guide vs in the righte way not suffer vs to be caried after our owne will For no certayne thing can be coÌ„maunded as concerning sight neither can it bee praysed in all pointes nor altogether discoÌ„mended Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome What the Gospel of the kingdome is reade the 4. Chapter of Mathew 15. And saying The tyme is come and the kingdome of God is at hande repent and belieue the Gospell The time is come BV. The Euangelist Marke is not content that hee hath declared the scope and suÌ„me of the preaching of the Lord but also addeth by by a certayne maner and forme of hys preachinge that by one Sermon wee might gather the order of the rest Notwithstanding he hath not rehearsed all things that he spake word for worde but onely the chiefe principal partes of the which fower are here declared Fyrst The time is come This thinge dependeth vpon the promises of the old testament For the lawe and the Prophets appoynted some certayne in the which the saluation of all the faythfull might be finished by the incarnation death of Christe the sonne of God For the prophet Daniell heard these words of the Angell Gabriell Three score ten Weekes are determined ouer thy People and ouer thy holy City that the wickednes may be consumed that the sinne may haue an ende that the offence may bee reconsiled to bring in euerlasting righteousnesse Daniel 9. to fulfill the visions and the Prophets and to anoynt the most holy one And in another place it is sayde Gene. 49. The Scepter shall not departe from Iuda and a lawe geuer froÌ„ betwene his feete vntil he come which must be sent This time sayth Chryst is fulfilled As if hee should say This day hath the father performed that which he promised to the fathers And herevpon followeth the seconde thinge which Marke noteth which maketh the firste more euident And the kindome of God is at hand BV. By Christ a way is made to the faithfull to come vnto the Father into the kingdome of God and moreouer God raygneth vpon the earth by the spirite by force and by his worde in the middest of the faithfull All those thinges therefore which the Prophets had foreshewed as concerninge saluation euerlasting lyfe righteousnesse of saintes and the kingdome of God in this world they are euen now at hande and are offered fulfilled by Christ Then also he doth gouerne vs when he doth make him selfe manifest vnto vs by his word when we forsake our own will which thing coÌ„meth to passe by the power of the holy Ghost WheÌ„ Christ came the state of the People of the Iewes was miserable and much impayred by horrible dissipation all men did that whych seemed good in their owne Eyes But they beinge gathered together by the word of the Gospell felt the kingdome of God if so bee that they were of the number of those which submitted theÌ„selues thereunto with obedience And now followeth the thirde parte of the sermon of Christ Repent That is to say let euery man enter into hys owne conscience let him acknowledge how corrupt daÌ„nable a sinner he is of him selfe let him also coÌ„fesse his sinnes and when he hath so done let him tourne froÌ„ theÌ„ and beholde the great mercy of God For the fourth parte followeth by the which the third is absolued And belieue the Gospell As if he shoulde say Although yee feele your selues to be sinners and to be condemned by the iust iudgement of God yet notwithstaÌ„dinge dispayre not in your sinnes belieue the Gospel which sayth that God to saue sinners sent his onely begotten sonne into the worlde that euery one which belieueth in him should not pearishe but haue life euerlasting Beleue therefore in the sonne of God the sauiour of the world By fayth taste of the gyftes of God Iohn 3. by faith Ioyne your selues vnto God A. If any man doe demaunde howe Marke here seperateth repentauÌ„ce from the doctrine of the Gospell when as notwithstanding it depeÌ„deth of the Gospell you may finde how to answere it in the fourth of Mathew 16. As he walked by the sea of Galile he sawe Simon and Andrew his brother casting nets into the sea for they were fishers A. As concerning the exposition of this verse in which is intreated of the calling of certayne of the Apostells reade the fourth Chapter of Mathewe 21 And they came into Capernaum and straite way on the Saboth dayes hee entered into the Synagoge and taught And they came into Capernaum BV. These things also doe pertayne to the place of doctrine and do shewe how greatly men ought to endeuoure them selues to preache the Gospell because the Lord him selfe preached
answereth Be yee therefore still and quiet for the time is not yet come But wheÌ„ yee are endewed with the holy Ghoste ye shall begâ—n to execute that whych I now commaund you I will Arme and strengthen you with heauenly Power by which ye shal be plentifully appoynted with all manner force against your enemies The very same our Euangelist repeateth in the beginning of the Apostles saying Act. 1.4 And gathering them together he commaunded them that they should not departe from Hierulem but wayte for the promise of the father whereof saith he ye haue herd of me For Iohn truely baptized with water but ye shall be baptised with the holy Ghost after these few dayes By which senteÌ„ce that which hee nameth in this place Power from aboue and the promise of the Father hee calleth there the holy Ghost C. Therefore lest the Apostles should rashly run forth to preach before their time Chryst commaundeth them to be quiet and stil vntill such time as he sending them forth might vse them in fit and conuenyente time And this was a profitable triall of theyr obedience in that they beynge endewed with the vnderstanding of the Scripture and enspyred with the Grace of the spirit held their peace as duÌ„be because the Lorde had forbid them to speake For we know how gredely meÌ„ desire to be knowne when they thinke that they shal do any thing wyth praise and admiration Wherefore by this example we are taught not to take any thinge in hand without Gods calling And whereas they are commaunded to abide at Hierusalem he ment that the same should be after they were returned out of Galile C. For after hee had geuen them commaundements in a secret place he willed them to abide still silent for a time vntill he had endewed them wiâ—h new power from heauen A. Mathew and Marke adde concerning the charge which Chryst gaue vnto his Apostles to preach and to Baptize Mat. 28.19 Mar. 16.15 For the Exposition of the 50. verse read the 28. Chap. of Math. verse 20. 51. And it came to passe as he blessed them he departed from them and was carried vp into heauen Marke hath When the Lord â—ad spoken Marke 16. vnto them he was receyued into heauen and sate him down on the right hand of God Act. 1.9 And Luke hath in the Actes And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp an hie and a cloude receyued him vp out of their â—ight 52. And they Worshipped him and returned to Hierusalem with great Ioye C This Worshipping testefieth that the Apostles doubted now nothyng at all concerninge the Resurrection of Chryst For they doe not worship hym as some notable prophet but as the king of Kings and as the Iudge of the whole World And retourned to Hyerusalem And LVKE in another place sayth Act 1.12 Then retourned they to Hyerusalem from the Mounte that is called Olyuet which is from Hyerusalem a Sabboth dayes iourney Here the Apostles obay the Lords coÌ„commaundement which he gaue them saying But tarry ye in the City Hierusalem vntill ye be endewed vvyth power from aboue With great ioy This is that same ioy of the which the Lord had foretould them saying Ye now therefore haue sorrow But I will see you againe Ioh. 16.22 and your Heartes shall reioyse and your ioy shal no maÌ„ take from you 53. And were continually in the teÌ„ple praysing lawding God AmeÌ„ C. Because the purpose of Luke was to wryght a longer Historye hee onely briefly toucheth what the Apostles dyd for the space of ten dayes The â—um is that they were daily occupied in praysing God and that they frequentrd holy Assemblies in the temple R. Now they were throughly perswaded that Chryst was risen agayn from death whom also they beheld when he assended into heauen from wheÌ„ce they doubted not but that he would sende that which he had promised vnto them While therefore they wayted for the promised holy Ghoste they applied theÌ„selues wholly to such exercises as became godlinesse A. neither doe they now hide themselues as before with the Dores shut but being made more boulde and couragious they cast away all feare and do geeue thankes vnto the Lorde God with greate ioy for that hee hauing sent a Redeemer into the world hath restoared miserable men from the tyranny of Sinne Death and the Deuill into the Liberty and Fredome of Godds Sonnes FINIS
hands of God The Lord meaneth that his Father wyll neuer forsake vs if wee be capeable of his Grace GOD can do all Thynges but we cannot obtayne those things that wee would haue without fayth Therefore S. Iames sayth But let him aske in fayth without doubtinge So Chryste sayd vnto the two blynd men Iames 1. Math 9. Doe ye belyeue that I can do this And in the Verse followyng according to your Fayth be it vnto you And agayne Thy Faith hath saued thee M. And leaste any Man shoulde thinke that all Thynges simpely are possible to him that belieueth Chryst promiseth nothing which hee will not gyeue but Fayth desyreth not all thinges There is nothynge more cōtrary to Fayth then the Desires of the Fleshe Faythe hathe all waies respecte vnto the Woorde of GOD to the whych it submitteth it selfe and obeyeth and passeth not his Bounds It desyreth not those Thinges whych it knoweth to be contrary to the glory and will of GOD. 24 AND straight way the Father of the Childe cryed with teares saying LORDE I belieue help thou my Vnbelyefe And straight vvay the father M. Heere wee see the strayght of the mynde the Fyght betweene faith and Distruste The Cry and Teares do declare the gryefe of the mynd And these Woordes doe expresse the fighte betwene Fayth and Distruste Lord I belieue helpe thou my vnbeliefe C. He sayth he belieueth and yet he confesseth hym selfe to bee Vnbeleeuing Although these Thynges seeme to be repugnant Yet neuerthelesse there is no man which feeleth not the lyke in himselfe For when Fayth is not perfecte it must needes follow that in some point we are vnbeleuing Notwithstanding GOD doth so beare with our infirmity that he accounteth vs faithful according to the small measure of fayth wherewith we are indewed In the meane time it is our part with all diligence to cast of the reliques of infidelity which cleaue so faste vnto vs and to pray vnto the LORDE that hee wyll amende them in vs. If wee do well waigh what is gieuen to euery man it shall euydentlye Appeare that there are very fewe which are indewed with an excellente Faith 25 When Iesus sawe that the people came running together hee rebuked the foule Spyrite saying vnto hym thou Dumbe and Deafe Spyrite I charge thee come out of him and enter no more into him Thou Dumbe and Deafe Spyrite M. Hee reprocheth the euill spyrite wyth that mallyce by the whych hee had taken away the Speache and the hearyng of the Chylde And hee reprehendeth hym not the the Chylde because hee had defiled workes of GOD. I charge thee come out of him These Woordes were spoken with a greate Emphasis and Force wyth greate Aucharitye that hee myghte know it to bee the Commaundement not of some Seruaunt but of the Lord himselfe As if he should say thou which hast contemned the commaundement of my Disciples heare my authority Thou must obay my power althoughe thou wouldest not geue place vnto my Disciples And enter no more into him As concerning this thing the Father of the Chylde neuer thoughte But Chryste who thinketh it not inough to heale the diseased for a time and who gyeueth more then we can aske when hee knew the nature of the vncleane Spirite how readely he woulde retourne to destroy that which hee had begun added this 26 And the Spyrite when hee had cryed and rente hym sore came out of hym and he was as it had bene one that had bene deade insomuche that many sayde he is deade And the Spyrite vvhen he had cryed C. Heereby wee see how loth sathan is to yeelde men vnto Chryste By the whych we are taught to cleaue vnto CHRYSTE with a more fyrme and perfecte Faythe and neuer to suffer Sathan to haue any part in vs. And rent him sore C. Heere agayne wee see that the nearer the Grace of CHRYST shyneth and the more Effectuall it is the more impotentely Sathan rageth By the presence of CHRIST therefore hee is moued to bestyrre hym selfe no lesse then by the sound of a Trumpet And we had neede to remember this alwais before the time least our faith be troubled so often as our mortall enemy according to his wonted maner doth violently rage at the beginninge of the grace of CHRIST 27 But Iesus caughte him by the hād and lyft him vp and he arose A. Heere the power of Sathan gieueth place to the power of Chryst By him therefore let vs hope for all good things and especiall for the Vyctorye ouer our Enemyes As concerning the 28. and 29. Verses read the 17. of Mathew 30 And they departed thence tooke theyr Iourney through Galilae and he would not that any mē shold know it And they departed thence Mathew speaking more plainly hath whyle they were occupyed in Galile And he vvould not that any man Namely his departure the whych some thinke to be done because he had set his face to goe vp to Ierusalem because the dayes of his departure were fulfilled He sought to fulfill the will of hys Father before all other things Therefore when he saw that the tyme when his race should be finished was at hand He would neither teache nor shewe myracles but woulde bee as it were one forgotten that he mighte go directly and without delay to Hyerusalem where he should be offered vp Euen so it is our partes to esteeme of nothing more thē that to the which our heauenly father hath called vs whether it be deathe or lyfe and it shall goe luckely with vs when we shall bee destroyed for the name of God 31 For he taughte his Disciples sayde vnto them The Son of mā shal be deliuered vp into the hands of mē and they shal kill him Luke 9. and after that he is kylled he shal ryse agayne the thyrd day For he taught his Disciples B. Reade the 43. verse of the nynthe Chapter of Luke This seemeth to be the order of the History When the Lord had restored to the Father his Sonne in perfecte health and had disposessed him of the Deuil all were amased But the Lorde nothing regarding the prayses of the people or that they wer amased going straight way from thence that is to say out of the Coastes of Cesarea he went through Galile toward Hierusalem and as he went now to his deth so he thought it good to confirme and stablysh the myndes of all his Discyples that they might beare the same without dispayre Therefore the Multitude wondering at his deedes he commaunded his Disciples rather to consider what he should shortly suffer lest they being offended at the cruel shew of the crosse shoulde fall from hym whom they confessed a litle before to be chryst Wherupon he sayd ponder these things wel with your Eares For the Sonne of man shal be deliuered into the handes of men As if he shoulde saye suffer other to marueile at my deedes ere it be longe they shal be otherwyse mynded
was done about him and at the lēgth how he yeelded vp the Ghost 34. And at the nynth hower Iesus cryed with a lowde voyce saying Eloy Eloy Lamasabacthani whych is if one interprete it My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Euangelyste Marke bryngeth heere many woordes which were then vsed of the most of the People amonge the Iewes Notwithstanding they wer corrupted by the longe Captiuitye of Babilon Among which also he wrote this Eloy Eloy The Hebrewes saye Eli Eli as Mathew also hath Many affirme that Marke wrote Eli Eli But what this word Eloi signifieth read the 27. of Mathew 37. But Iesus cryed with a lowde voice and gaue vp the Ghost And gaue vp the Ghost After that Chryst had thus geuen vp the Ghost and committed his soule into the Handes of the Father some haue written that he then descended in to hell which they call Limbos Patrū where as they dreame the soules of the Fathers reste to whom say they he preached vntill he rose a gaine being moued so to affirme by this place of Peter wher it is sayd 1. Pet. 3 In the which Spyrite also he wente and preached to the spyrites that were in pryson And the Vayle of the Temple did rente in two partes from the Toppe to the Bottome BV. Marke now maketh mention of certaine things which followed the death of the Lord which do commende the Pryce of his Deathe and doe set forth the Maiesty of him beinge nowe a Dying Straighte way after that deth of the Lord sayth Marke the vaile of the Temple rente in two from the Top to the bottome The Vale was that which wente betweene the sight of the People and the Holy thynges whych were in the Temple Whereby wee haue to learne that shadowes vanishe away so sone as the light of the truth shyneth The rest concerneth the Exposition of this Verse and that whych followeth yee shall finde in the seuen and twenty Chapter going before FINIS Chapter the sixtenth AND When the Saboth day was past Mary Magdalene Marye the Mother of Iames and Salome brought sweete smelling Oyntmēts that they myght come and anoynte hym And vvhen the Saboth day vvas passe BV. In this last Chapter the Euangelyste descrybeth the true resurrection of the true Body of our Lord Iesus Chryst from the deade and that which the other two Euangelists haue done largely our Euangeliste Marke hath knit vp in few Wordes because these fewe wordes in steede of many might seme to suffice The Godly women come to annoint the body of the Lord that it mighte abide sweete that it might not stinke through corruption Therefore they bringe such ointments as are of force to dry vp and consume the moiste humors of the body to the end the same might thereby be kept vncorrupted Now because they found not his body it is euident that the same was risen 2. And earely in the morning the first day of the Saboths they came vnto the Sepulchar when the sonne was rysen BV. The time is heere noted whē these women went to the Sepulchre that thereby we might gather the time of the resurrection also The first day of the Sabothes This day is the first day in the weeke next following the Saboth being the very same which for a memorial of the resurrection we call Sonday That which is heere called the Sabothe is to vs Saterday A. Read the 28. cap. of Mathew 6. And he saith vnto them be not amazed Yee seke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified He is rysen he he is not here behold the place wher they had put him BV. Note here diligently how by the Testimony of the most holy Aungels of God the special points of our redemption are reuealed and declared vnto Men. Luke 1. For the incarnation of our Lorde was shewed vnto the Virgin Mary by the Aungell Gabriell And now Angels being ministers of truth are witnesses of his resurrection from Act. 1. the deede When the Lord standynge vppon mounte Oliuet ascended into Heauen Angels appeared and testified that the Lord Iesus should so come againe to Iudgemente as the Disciples sawe him ascende into Heauen Wherfore if we wil not let to beleue sworne witnesses how much more ought we to geue credit vnto Angels the Ministers of truth Behould the Place where It is the true property of a humane body to be in one certaine place And because the Body of the Lorde whych was risen from the dead was no more there where it was at the first it followeth that the true body is risen the very same which was laide in the Sepulchre and to conclude it followeth that the same body rising agayne lost not the property of a humane Body for then the Angel should not haue truly sayd He is not here Reade the 28. cap. of Mathew 7. But goe your way and tell hys Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galile there shal ye see him as he sayd vnto you BV. This also pertayneth to confirme the verity of Christs body For that Locall moouing doth shewe the Verity of Christs body There shall yee see him As if he should say There yee shall see him he place being certain ye shal se him not as a spyrite but as a true mā 11. Afterward he appered to the eleuen as they sate together and cast in theyr teeth their vnbeliefe and hardnes of hearte because they belyeued not them which had seene that hee was risen againe from the dead Some English translations haue As they sate together at meat But it cannot be gathered by the Hebrew nor Greeke texte but rather that they sate together weeping Luke 24 and in prayer For certayne it is that this was the first Vision or appearyng of Chryst which was aboute Midnight as it may be gathered by Luke which was no fit or conuenient time for supper Againe if they had bene at meat it is not like that Luke woulde haue sayde that the Lorde standynge before them asked them for meate Or if they had any thinge to eate For he shoulde haue sene himselfe whether they had or no. But it is the Hebrew phrase of Speache to vse this word sitting for resting in any place And cast in theyr teeth Where as some restrayne these wordes of Marke vnto Thomas it semeth to bee to much coacted or Wrested so that it is better more simpelie to expounde it thus that Christ whē hee Appeared at the fyrste to hys Apostles rebuked them because they woulde not belieue those Witnesses that sawe hym after his Resurrection Howbeit their hardnes of heart is not only condempned in this that they gieue no credit vnto the words of mē but because they being conuicted by the euent of the matter it selfe woulde skarse beleue the testimony of the Lorde himself Wherfore iustly the hardnes of theyr hearts is cast in their teethe because to theyr slow dulnes obstinacy was also ioyned euen as though willingly
desiered to see those thinges which you se and haue not seene them And there is no doubte but that this Reuelation was made vnto Symeon alone that from him a general confirmation might come to al the Godly Before hee had seene the Lordes Chryst C. Chryst is called the Lords Chryst because hee was anoynted of the Father and receiued also with the holy Ghost the Dignity of a Kyngdome Pryestehood A. Concerning the whych thing Read the first of Mat. verse 16.27 And he came by inspyratioÌ„ into the Temple And when the Father and Mother broughte in the Chylde Iesus to doe for him after the Custome of the Law E. The Greeke Text hath And he came in the Spyrite That is to say in the Power of the Spyrite or being led of the spyrit to mete wyth Chryst 28 Then tooke hee him vp in hys Armes and praysed God and sayde LORDE now lettest thou thy seruaunte departe in Peace accordyng to thy Word Then tooke he him vp in his armes S. That is to say he tooke and imbraced Chryst with great Ioy which was a VVorke of Fayth Heere now Symeon is made Partaker of his Fayth and hope Heere now he doth not onely se with his eyes but doth also carry in hys Armes him whome the Heauen of Heauens caÌ„not comprehende and who in his Hande houldeth Heauen and Earth and all thynges therein And Symeon helde in his handes so greate Treasure as none of the most excellent Kynges and Monarches of the world possessed Lorde now lettest thou thy seruauÌ„t R. This excellente Verse consisteth of fower verseâ— And as Zacharias and the Virgin Mary and before them Moyses Debora Anna Dauid and many other haue declared their thankfulnesse towardes GOD in Verses and coulde deuyse no better way to geue god thaÌ„ks for those benefits receiued then with a publique songe of the glory of his name euen so Symeon bursteth forth by the holy Ghoste into a Songe by which hee declareth his thankefull mynd for the clemeÌ„cy mercy of God And in this song he declareth Christ seâ—teth him forth with great praises and magnificeÌ„t Epithetes C. Furthermore by this soÌ„g it is euideÌ„t inough that Simeon beheld the son of God with other Eyes then with the eies of his Body For the external sight of Christ could brynge nothing but conteÌ„pt at least it would neuer haue satisfied the mind of the maÌ„ of god that with ioy he might haue desired his end death being now made partaker of his desire Therefore the spirit of God illumined his eies by faith that he might behold the glory of the son of God though in base conteÌ„ptible shew When hee saith that he departeth in peace he meaneth that he shal by with a quiet peaceable mind as one hauing his desire wish According to thy vvord R. Hee commendeth the truth of Gods promise which was that he should not see Death before he had seene the Lordes Chryste The which promise if it had not bene made vnto him he should in vain here haue made mention of the word of the Lord. A. He reioiseth therefore that he hath his desire and affirmeth that hee will not be vnwilling to die C. But it may be demaunded whether he should first depart this lyfe or whether Simeon was drawne with violence as one vnwilling I answer This circumstaÌ„ce is to be noted which is added According to thy word For when God promised the sight of hys son there was iust cause why he honge in Suspence yea it behoued him to liue in care vntill he had enioyed hys desyre This therefore is to be noated because many do falsely pretend the example of Simeon boastinge that they would willingly die if so bee they might first inioy this or that thinge the which notwithstaÌ„ding they desire rashly and without the word of God If so be Symeon had precisely sayd Now I will die with a quyet minde because I haue sene the Sonne of God he had then shewed the weakenes of his faith but because he had the word of GOD for his Warrante it was lawfull for him to shunne Death according to the rule of Fayth vntill the comminge of Chryst In Peace Bu. As if he should say Thou bringest to passe that I now willingly and with a quiet mind depart out of this life Thou saydst that I at the laste shoulde then die when I had seene the Sauiour of the Worlde whom I haue nowe seene And novve there resteth nothing but that thou suffer me to die when it shall seeme good vnto thee to call me out of thys Worlde By these VVordes Symeon sufficiently declareth how carefully and with what griefe of mynde he wayted for the comming of the Messias when that he affyrmeth himselfe to be nowe in peace because he hath sene and imbraced Chryst the Infant 30 For myne Eyes hath seene thy Saluation C. Although we haue this phrase of Speach oftentimes in the scriptures yet notwithstanding in these the Corporall beholding of Chryst seemeth to be noated euen as if Symeon shoulde say that he had now the Son of God present in the flesh whom before he be helde with the eyes of his myndes Thy Saluation A. Chryst is heere called Saluation Act. 4. â— because there is saluatton in no other then in him For there is no other name geuen vnder heauen among men in whom we must be saued C. Now if so be the behoulding of Chryst being yet but an Infant could so much preuayle with Symeon that it made him quietly and ioyfully to dy how much greater cause of peace and ioy haue we at this day who haue sene all the partes of our Saluation fulfilled in Chryste Chryst is not nowe in Earth neyther do we imbrace hym in our Armes but his Deuine maiestye doth clearely and plainely shyne in the Gospell and he doth there offer him selfe to be seene as it were face to face not in the infirmity of the Fleshe any more but in greate power of the spyrite which he declared in miracles in the Sacrifice of his Death and in the Resurrection To be shorte he is so absente from vs in body that yet notwithstandynge we may behoulde him sittynge at the right hande of his Father A. VVe see also what things Chryst hath done after his Resurrection and what manner Church he hath builded and preserued C. Excepte this sight bringe peace of conscience vnto vs that we may goe chearefully vnto death wee are more then vnthankfull vnto God and do not rightly consider to how great honour he hath aduaunced vs. Which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People Esa 11.10 Which thou hast prepared C. That is to say which thou hast ordayned or appoynted to be knowen of all men according to this saying of the Prophet Esa 52.10 The Lord hath reuealed his holy arme in the sight of all the GeÌ„tyles and all the endes of the Earthe haue seene the Saluation of our God Therefore by
mother The mother complained sayinge Thou shouldest haue tolde vs of it but Christe aunswereth It became mee to prefer my Fathers businesse before all matters yea before your sorrow C. And hereof a generall doctrine is to be gathered namely that what soeuer is due vnto men is subiect vnto the first table that the power of GOD may remaine vndeminished So wee must obay Kings Parents and Maisters and yet no otherwise but vnder the cōmaundement of God That is to say least God should loose any of his right for mans cause For then humaine pietie is not violated when wee haue principally regarde vnto God Wee know what our sauiour Christe saith Hee which loueth Father Mother more than mee Mat 10.37 is not worthy of me And the Apostell Peter saith we must obay God more then men Acts. 5.21 All power hath her boundes that God may haue the highest Degree of Honor Empery insomuch that if hee call vs we may haue no consideration of those thinges That I must goe about my Fathers businesse C. These wordes signifie that Christe was more bound then to man As if hee should say I will obay you so farre forth as I disobay not my heauenly Father Hee sheweth also the speciall ende why hee was sente into the Worlde namely to discharge the Office enioyned to him of his heauenly Father Iohn 4.34 Iohn 16.38 Ihon. 8.4 So in another place hee sayth My meate is to doe the will of him that sente mee and to doe his woorke 50. And they vnderstoode not that saying which he spake vnto them C. It is marueile that Ioseph Mary vnderstoode not this answere who were taught by many testimonies that Iesus was the Sonne of God Wee aunswere that although the heauenly originall of Christe was not altogether vnknowen vnto them yet they did not throughly vnderstande that he was bent to execute his Fathers commaundementes bycause his callinge was not as yet distinctly reuealed vnto them B. They knew that hee was Christe but yet they knew not the way how hee should take his office in hand neyther yet the condition of those things which were done by him And therefore they were held stil with a certaine admiration of him and of those things which hee did but specially when the spirite of God did reueale it selfe more manifestly in him Neyther were they any whit the more vnhappy bycause they knew not many of those thinges For it is sufficient for euery one to know so much of the workes of GOD that he may loue him aboue all thinges and frame himselfe wholly vnto his will So it was inough for Ioseph Mary to know that they had Christe present with them that they might dilligently attende vppon him and mighte bee thankefull to the Father with their whole hearte which had bestowed so greate Grace vppon the Worlde but specially vppon the Iewes As for other thinges which were to bee Reuealed vnto them they were differed vntill another time They therefore which are Godly in deede thinke it sufficient to know the good will of GOD towarde them in CHRISTE and wherein they are to bee thankefull vnto GOD. Contrarywise the wicked omittinge these thinges seeke to search out the secrets of GOD. And hereof it commeth to passe that there are so many contencions and disputacions about vayne thinges amonge them 51. And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient vnto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart A. When Christe had in parte reuealed his callinge in that famouse City hee went downe with his mother and Ioseph And was obedient vnto thē C. Christe thus abased himselfe for our Saluation in that hee beinge the Lord of Angells and the heade of all Mortall Creatures willingely made himselfe subiect For so was the purpose of GOD that for a time as vnder a Shadow hee mighte lye hid vnder the name of Ioseph And although no necessity constrayned Christ to this subiection but that he might haue refused the same Yet notwithstanding bycause herefore hee tooke vppon him mans Nature that hee might be subiect to his Parents he tooke vpon him both the person of a man and also of a seruaunt that hee might the better be a true and perfect Redeemer Let all men therefore beholde and consider this and specially sonnes that they may learne howe that they are reconciled to the Lord GOD our Father and that they haue remission of all their Synnes for the Obedience of Christe And secondly that they follow this Example of Christe to testefie their Faith and to geeue thankes vnto GOD for the Benefites exhibited by Christe and to honoure their Parents with all Condigne honour Ephe. 6.1 Chyldren sayth S. Paule Obay your fathers mothers in the Lord for this is right Honour thy father and mother which is the first Commaundement in promise that thou mayest prosper and lyue longe vppon Earth Kept all those sayings in her heart C. Luke repeateth that which he had written straite after the Natiuity in the 19. verse goinge before how that Marye keepeth those thinges in her minde which as yet shee vnderstoode not Hereby let vs learne reuerently to receiue and euen as the Earth doth Foster the conteyned Seede to keepe in store in our mindes the mysteries of GOD which exceede our capascity R. Christes Wordes which are not at the first vnderstoode seeme to profite very litle but if thou Iudge them worthy to bee noted and layest them vp in thy mynde a time will come when thou shalte vnderstande them and thou thereby shalt confirme thy Faith 52. And Iesus increased in Wisdome and Stature and in fauoure wyth GOD and men R. the Euangelist doth briefly declare what CHRISTE did from the twelueth yeare of hys Age vntill the thirtith in the which yeare hee began his Office Hee was subiecte to his Parents hee increased in bodily stature and in Wisedome of the mynde whereby hee was the more gratiouse and accepted with GOD and with men Reade the 40. verse going before FINIS ⧠THE THIRD CHAP. NOwe in the fifteenth yeare of the raygne of Tyberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being Liefetenant of Iury Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee and his Brother Philip Tetrarche of Iturea and of the Region of the Trachonites and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene 2. When Annas and Caiphas were the high Priests the worde of the Lord came vnto Iohn the sonne of Zacharias in the Wyldernesse B. In the two former Chapters the Euangelist hath described the byrth infancie of our Sauiour and hath declared those thinges concerninge him by which hee hath plentifully prooued Christe being as yet an Infant to be the Sauiour of the Worlde And now in this thirde Chapter omittinge these thinges which hee did from his Infancie vntill the thirtith yeare of his age hee discribeth howe hee was reuealed vnto men by the preaching of Ihon how at the last hee came to Baptisme in the which hee
more a great deale then they were among the Iewes vnder Annas Caiphas For the reading of the holy scripture which then florished is not only vanished away vnder the Popes Gouernment but is also driuen out of the Churches with Fyer and Swoorde sauinge that they singe in scorne what they list them selues in an vnknowen tongue S. But wee to whom the truth of the Gospell is reuealed ought after the ensample of Christe to frequet holy assemblies to cleaue vnto the worde of GOD for euer and to follow good and pollitique order And stoode vp to reade S. It is meete that there should bee some Order 1. Cor. 14.40 that all thinges may bee done decently and in order as the Apostell teacheth For if euery one were permitted to reade cōfusion must needes follow Wherefore wee see that Order was obserued there is no doubt but they which purposed to reade craued audience C. And Christe stode vp to reade not onely to the ende audience mighte bee geuen him the better but also in signe of reuerence For the maiesty of the Scripture deserueth to bee modestly and reuerently handled of the Professors of the same 17. And there was deliuered to him a Booke of the Prophet Esayas when he had opened the booke hee founde the place where it was written And there was delyuered to him a Booke B. This Booke was deliuered vnto him by the Minister For by and by after it is sayd And when hee had shut the Booke hee gaue it to the Minister He found the place C. There is no doubt but that Christe of purpose chose this place Some think that it was diuinely allotted vnto him but seeing hee had free choise it is better to referre it his Iudgemēt that hee chose out this place aboue others For his purpose was to speake aptly concerninge his office 18. The spirite of the Lord vpon me because hee hath anoynted mee to preach the Gospell to the poore hee hath sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliuerance to the captiue and recoueringe of sight to the blynde freely to set at liberty them that are brused The spirit of the Lord vpon me S. These Woordes are alleadged according to the translation of the threescore and ten Interpretors For the Hebrew texte in Esay is somewhat otherwise Esay 61.1 Esay promiseth that there shall bee yet certaine Witnesses of the Grace of GOD after the Exile into Babilon which shall gather the People from destruction and the shadow of Death and shall with Spirituall power restore the Church being so myserably afflicted But seeinge that the same redemption was to be published in the name of Christe onely he speaketh in the singuler nomber and after a sorte taketh vpon him the person of Christe to the ende he might the more effectually comforte the myndes of the Godly Certaine it is that those thinges which are spoken here doe onely properly belonge vnto Christe him selfe and that for two causes First because hee only is indued with the fulnesse of the spirite that hee might bee a Witnesse of our reconcilliation with God Ephe 2.17 secondly because hee alone by the power of his spirite performeth and geueth all those good things which he promyseth here And hee therefore sayd that the spirite of the Lord was vpon him to the ende wee might know that Christe as well in him selfe as in his Ministers doth no humaine or priuate worke but that hee is sente from aboue to restore saluation to the Church For he testifieth that hee doth nothing by humaine instincte or counsaile but by the moderation of the spirit of GOD that the Faith of the Godly mighte bee founded vppon the authority and power of God R. And wee must note that which we touched before that the fulnesse of the Spirite was geuen to Christe alone For the Spirite or gyftes of the spirite was geuen to others by partes and by measure To Moses was geeuen the spirite of Wisdome and of workinge myracles to Sampson was geuen the spirite of Fortitude to Salomon the Spirite of Wysedome to the Prophets the Spirite of knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods misteries but to Christ was geeuen the fulnesse of the spirite and all the Gyftes of the spirite were powred vppon him For so sayth the Prophet The Spirite of the Lorde shall rest vppon him Esay 11 2 the spirite of Wisedome and vnderstandinge the spirite of counsaile and strength the Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. And Sainte Ihon sayth Ihon. 3.34 God geeueth not the spirit vnto him by meesure Col 2.9 and 3. In lyke manner Paule writeth sayinge In him dwelleth all the fulnesse of God bodily Wherefore when the Prophet sayeth that the Spirite of the Lord is vpon Christe hee meaneth that all the fulnesse and all the Gyftes of the Spirite are vppon him Bycause hee hath anoynted mee S. This is added in steede of an Exposition C. For many boaste falsly that they haue the spirite of God when they are quite voyde of his giftes But Christ proueth by the anoynting as by the effect that hee is moued with the spirit of God S. For this anoynting was a figure of the holy Ghoste and there is a Metaphor in this Woorde For as Oyle hath his properties for the body euen so hath the spirite of God for the Soule Wee are Partakers of this anoyntinge for GOD hath consecrated vs to be his People Psa 105.15 Whereupon hee saith Touch not mine anoynted But there is not all one measure as wee sayd before For God geueth to euery man his giftes according to his measure but Christe was fully anoynted of whose fulnesse wee all haue receyued Ihon. 1.16 Wee are anoynted that wee may bee Partakers of the kingdome of the Priesthoode and of the Propheticall office of Christ notwithstanding Christe onely was anoynted to bee a Kinge a Priest and a Prophet Our anoynting cōmeth from Aarons head vnto all the partes of the body Note also how often the Scripture maketh mencion of the spirit of God and saith that the same dwelleth in vs least thou shouldest consider any voyde or vayne thinge but rather his power and efficacie So that after the Prophet had spoken of the spirite of God hee addeth vnction by which the vertues of the Spirie of God are vnderstoode The place must bee dilligently waighed and considered For no man can take vnto him Right and authority to teach in the Church of God except hee can shew that hee was stirred there unto by the spirite of God And wee shall knowe who are sent of God by the anoyntinge that is to say if hee bee indued with these giftes which are required to that Function if hee beinge appointed of the Lord hath in him the Graces of the spirite then hee hath in deede the holy Ghost But if a man hauinge no doctrine or learninge at all will professe himselfe to be a maister and a Teacher let him bee
the Father who will geue the same vnto vs To this cogitacion therefore Christ aunswereth I would not haue you to bee prepared more to doe any thinge than to go and preach the kingdome of God only care yee for that being assured that no man shall hurt you and that yee shall wante nothinge For accordinge to the Prouerbe the laborer is worthy of his meate Worke for my Father and he will prouide you meate without your labour bycause it is not meete for the Preachers of the kingdome of heauen to be troubled aboute these least matters For who will not thankfully offer vnto them all thyngs which preache vnto men euerlastinge lyfe and make them Partakers of the kingdome of Heauen Eate therefore drinke those things which they shal set before you and that without shame for yee eate not other mens but your owne meate as your hyer and rewarde For yee shall heale those that are sicke amonge them and shall tell them that the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand and yee shall make them Partakers of Heauenly Doctrine By these Woordes of Christe all Christian Preachers muste learne to make choyse wyth whom they leade their lyues euen as do good husband men which consider of the grounde before they breake vp the same with the Plough and sow it with good Seede Before Reprobates Dogs Hogs the Woorde of God must not be set For the two nexte verses reade the sixte Chapter of Marke the 12. vers and the 10. of Mathew the 14. vers And for the rest vnto the 16. vers reade the eleuenth Chapter of Mathew beginning at the 21. vers 16. He that heareth you heareth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent mee C. They are deceiued whych thynke that the same is repeated in this place which is set downe in the tenth of Mathew the 40. vers For Christe spake there of persons but here of doctrine that receiuing pertayneth to the dueties of Charity but now he commendeth Faith which receyueth God in his Woorde The summe is that the piety of men is prooued by the Obedience of Faith but that they which reiect the Gospell although they boaste them selues to bee the chiefe Worshippers of God doe notwithstanding bewray their wicked contempt But we must note here the purpose of Christe for bycause the greatest parte of the Worlde doth preposterously Iudge of the Gospell by the worthinesse of men and therefore doe contemne nothing regard that which is brought vnto them by base and contemptible men Christe doth prouide for thus so preposterous Iudgement And bycause all men for the most parte are so proude that they will not willingly submit them selues vnto their Equalls and agayne God hath Determyned to Gouerne hys his Church by the Mynistery of men and to choose often times to the mynistery of his worde the most base sorte of men it was necessary that hee shoulde defend the maiesty of the Gosple least comming out of mans mouth it seeme vile and base This therefore is a notable cōmendation of the externall ministery when Christ pronounceth that what honour and reuerence soeuer is geuen vnto mans preaching so that the same be faithfull is geuen to GOD him selfe And the profite of this cōmendation consisteth of two pointes For there is nothinge that oughte to animate vs more to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell than when we heare that the same is the most exellent worship of God a sacrifice of a sweete smell we heareing him then speaking in the mouth of men Secondly all doubtinge is taken away when we heare that the testimony of our saluation is neuer a whit the worse when the same is geuen by men which are sent of God and that it is of as great prise euen as if his voyce should sound from heauen And contrarywise to terrefie the contemners of the Gospell hee pronounceth that they which will not heare his mynisters bee they neuer so cōtemtible are contumelious not to men but to God the Father him selfe For he sayth And he that despiseth you despiseth mee A So also sayth the Apostell Paule 1. Thes 4.8 Hee which reiecteth these thinges reiecteth not man but God which hath geuen his holy spirite in you C. And as the dignity of Pastors is here greatly extolled which sincerely and faithfully execute their office So is the Pope with his ministers made ridiculouse when by this place he seeketh to defende his tiranny For it is certaine that Christ doth not so speake here that he doth resigne his authority geuen him of his father vnto men but only that he might deliuer his Gosple from contempt Whereuppon it followeth that the honour due vnto him is not geuen vnto men but reserued only vnto his worde Therefore if the Pope will be receiued let him bring that doctrine in the which he may be knowen to be the minister of Christe But so longe as hee continueth still like him selfe that is to say a sworne enemy of Christe and hauing no affinity with the Apostells let him ceasse to decke him selfe with those fethers which are none of his 17. And the seuenty turned agayne with Ioy sayinge Lord euen the very Diuells are subdued vnto vs through thy name R If so bee a man shoulde waigh and iudge the Ioy of these seuenty ambassadoures by these their wordes onely yet it semeth a most honest Ioy but if it bee exacted and drawen vnto those words of Christe which follow by and by it seemeth manifestly to bee rather the Ioy of the flesh then of the Spirit for in this gyft of workinge myracles they thought that their true and chiefe felicity consisted Furthermore bicause they thought that the kingdome of Christe shoulde bee in this Worlde they thinke that they haue now strength inough geuen vnto them to make the whole World obedient vnto Christe Lord euen the very Diuells C. It appeareth that the seuenty did not fully and throughly beleue the Words of Christe when as they returninge doe reioyce as at a newe and vnlooked for matter namely that by the power of Christe they had cast out Diuells But yet this power was geuen them and also cōmaunded them And this is true that whē they went they were perswaded that nothinge was spoken vnto them by their maister in vayne notwithstanding afterward when the greatnesse of the thinge exceeded their opinion they were amazed at the sighte thereof And this commeth oftentimes to passe that the faithfull doe only conceiue some taste only out of the worde of the power of God and then experience afterward bringeth them into admiration 18. And he sayd vnto them I saw Sathan as it had bene lightninge falling downe from heauen C. Christ cōmendeth the efficacy of his Gospell when he sayth that by the same Sathan is cast downe in a moment And hee bringeth his Disciples from one particuler to the whole generall namely for that he cōmaūded his Gospell to be
and consider the Preacher he is Gods voice and the voyce of Chryste and therefore hee oughte to publish nothing but that which God Christe shall put in his mouth Reade the thirde chapter of Mathew 4. Iohn did baptize in the Wyldernesse and preached the baptim of repentance for the remission of sinnes Iohn did baptise in the VVyldernesse BV. Marke declareth how the words of the the Prophets were fulfilled that is to say how Iohn came a forerunner howe he began the preaching of the Gospell and prepared the way before Christe the Kynge For hee baptised men which sought to dedicate and gieue themselues vnto Christianisme by Gods appoyntmeÌ„t with the water of Iordaine Whereuppon hee was called Iohn the Baptist For he was the first by Gods commaundement which baptised men with water and which began Christianisme A. But at what tyme hee began to preache and baptise it cannot be gathered by Marke Yet Luke declareth it Luke 3. And preached the baptim of repentance By these words the EuaÌ„gelist declareth that Iohn exhorteth the People to conuert repent and also to beleue their sinnes were forgeuen by Christe of the which remission to make them assurance hee baptised them And the Baptim of repentance signifieth all the ministery of Iohn that is to say the doctryne and the baptim annexed to his doctryne As coÌ„cerning repentance and the baptim of Iohn of Chryste and of the Apostles Reade the third of Mathew 5. And all the land of Iewry they of Ierusalem went out vnto him and were baptised of him in the ryuer of Iordaine confessing their sinnes And all the land of Ievvry c. E. That is to say And the People came out of all partes of Iewry BV. Whereby we gather that the worde of God preached by the mouth of Iohn wanted not his frute Reade the third of Mathew 6. Iohn was clothed with Camelles hayre and with a Girdell of a Skin aboute his Loynes And hee did eate Locustes and wylde Honny Iohn vvas clothed vvith Camells E. These words are to be found in the most auncient latine bookes And vvith a girdel of Skinne about his loynes As concerninge this Gyrdell reade the third of Mathew And hee did eate Locustes BV. The lyfe and maners of Iohn the Baptist were agreeable in all poyntes with the doctrine which he preached For the manners of men doe specially appeare in their diet and apparell But Iohn did eate these Locustes because they were easy to bee had being plentifull and a temperate kynde of meate his apparell also was soone prepared beinge voyde of all sumptuous excesse So that the lyfe of this man was most holy and temperate in all thinges 7. And preached sayinge hee that is stroÌ„ger then I coÌ„meth after me whose shoe lachet I am not worthy to stoupe downe and vnlose And preached saying BV. The suÌ„me effect of these wordes is that Iohn preached Christe in him remission of all sinnes forsomuch as he is the omnipotent sonne of God the Father and the true Messias with whom no creature although hee bee holy and excellent may be compared VVhose Shoe lachet I am not vvorthy to vnlose The like words also hath the Euangelist Luke But Mathew hath Whose Shoes I am not worthy to beare 8. I haue baptysed you with water but he shall baptise you with the holy Ghost A. Here the Euangelist noteth the difference betwen the Baptism of Christ and of Iohn and of the rest of the mynisters of the which matter reade the third chapter of Mathew 9. And it came to passe in those daies that IESVS came from Nazareth of Galile and was Baptised of IOHN in Iordaine BV. Whatsoeuer Iohn the Baptist spake or did hytherto hee spake and did it to this ende to prepare and make ready the common People for Christe and thus he did to the ende of his ministery Wherefore there remayned no other thing then that the sonne of God hymselfe shoulde now come and should bee reuealed of the Father to the whole world But how thinges came to passe Marke discribeth in this place A. And that which Mathew spake more obscurely how that Iesus came from Galile to Iordaine vnto Iohn Marke playnely declareth saying from Nazareth of Galile The rest is more plentifully handeled by Mathew in hys 3. Cap. 10. And as soone as he was come out of the water he sawe Heauen open the spirite descending vpon him lyke a Doue 11. And there came a voyce from heauen Thou arte my deare Sonne in whom I delight 12. And immediatly the spirit draue him into wildernesse Hee savve Heauen open Or to parte a sunder Mathew hath The Heauens were opened vnto him And immediately the spirite draue hym into VVildernesse E. By these words he setteth forth the force of the spirit which caryeth a man whether it lysteth Luke hath He was led of the spirit B. These words sufficieÌ„tly declare that the true sonnes of God are not nowe their owne but that they geue place wholy vnto the gouernment of the spirite contrary to the opinion of those which affirme that there is left vnto our will a certaine shadow of vertue by which we may worke And here by al men which are tempted may take consolation because they may knowe that temptacions are the good will of God BV. Here we doe see that not delights or pleasure followe the Baptisme and vnction of Christe but grieuouse and perilouse temptation that wee might hereby learne what they may loke for which haue geuen their names in baptim to this Prynce B. Wee are also hereby taughte not to thruste forth our selues rashly into Temptation but if they be sent of God we ought to beare them paciently 13. And hee was there in the wildernesse forty dayes and was tempted of Sathan and was with Wilde beastes and the Angels ministred vnto him And hee vvas there in the VVildernesse BV. By these wordes the Euangelist ment to declare that the Lord abstayned in deede from all company and comfort of men for the space of forty dayes and forty nights to the ende we might not be ashamed or grieued to leade our life with wilde beastes if we be appoynted thereunto 3. King 16 Hâ—b 11. and the glory of God requyre it For which matter we haue Elias the Prophets for examples B. Notwithstandinge wee must note that the sons of God ought not to forsake those thinges that are necessary for the lyfe of man neither their trade of life except the spirite of the father doe leade them into the desert otherwyse they may vse those things that are present according to the moderation of the Spirit with geuing of thanks For we do not reade that Christ at any time by the constraint of the spirit dwelt in the desert but this once And the Angels ministred vnto him A. This was done for his comforte as we haue declared in the fourth of Mathew 14. After that Iohn was taken Iesus came into Galile preaching the
with so greate dilligence Yea Marke hath this thing more then the other peculiar to himselfe namely this that hee doth oftentimes inculcate shewe that our Lord Iesus taught And he chose vnto him Caparnaum being a wicked City least that any man should thinke that Preachers ought to flee and auoyde such as were wicked A. The Euangelist Mathew hath And he went about all Galile teaching in their Synagoges and preachinge the kingdome of God At the length they enter into Capernaum And straite vvay on the saboth dayes he entred BV. Math 4. All tyme certaynely is apt and meete for the preaching of the Gospell but specially the Saboth day which was appoynted of God to retayne and keepe his worship among men Euen so also euery place is meete and conuenient to preach the Gospell in if the matter and necessity so require But the Synagoge or the temple is a most meete place for this purpose 22. And they were astonyed at his learning For hee taught them as one that hadde authority and not as the Scribes And they vvere astonyed at his learninge A. The same words hath the Euangelist Luke C. But the Euangelists meane that the â—ower of the spirite shyned in the wordes of Christe in so much that it constrayned the prophane and colde hearers to meruayle And not as the Scribes Luke sayth that his worde was in power that is to say full of dignity but our EuaÌ„gelist S. Marke speaketh more fully adding the Antithesis that his words were not like to the words of the Scribes For seeing they were false interpreters of the Sciptures their doctrine was litterall and deade which breathed or shewed forth no efficacy of the spirite and in the which there was no maiesty Such coldnesse we may see at this day in the speculatiue Diuinity of the Papacy which onely consisteth in outwarde shewes Those maisters imperiously thunder out whatsoeuer seemeth vnto them good but seeing after a Prophane maner they babble prate of diuine matters insomuch that no religion can appeare in their doinges it is but filthy and friuolouse whatsoeuer they bring in For the Apostell Paule sayth not in vaine that the kingdome of GOD consisteth not in words but in power To be short 1. Cor. 9. the Euangelistes meane seing the order of teaching was then disordered and corrupted which brought no reuerence of GOD to the myndes of men that the deuine power of the spyrite was euidently to be seene in the words of Christ which brought fayth and credit vnto him This is the Power or rather the dignity authority at the which the people was astonied A. Of that which authority we may read at large in the seuenth of Mathew 23. And there was in their Synagoge a man vexed with an vncleane spirite which cryed And there vvas in their Synagoge C. It is lykely that this man which was possessed of an vncleane spirite was one of that multitude whereof Mathew maketh mencion sayinge And his fame spred through all Syria and they brought vnto him all those that were diseased were taken wyth grypings and them that were possessed with Diuells and those which were Lunatike and those that had the Palsey he healed them B. But the narration of Marke and Luke is not superfluouse because they bringe in certayne circumstances which do not only make the myracle more euident but also contayne a profitable doctrine For the Diuell doth craftely confesse Christe to be the holy one of God that men myghte haue a suspicion of some aliaunce betwene him and Christe By the which deceipt also he wente afterward about to make the Gospell suspected and he ceasseth not to attempt the like at this day And this is the reason why Christ commaundeth him to be still It may be truely that this confession was extorted from him violently and yet for all that betwene these two there is no disagrement namely that he being constrained to geue place to the power of Christ exclaimeth him to be the holy one of God notwithstanding craftely goeth about to obscure and darkeÌ„ the shining glory of Christe We must also note that hee doth so flatter wyth Chryste that hee might secretly wythdraw himselfe from his hand and by this meanes he is coÌ„trary to himselfe For to what ende was Christe sanctified of the father but onely the deliueringe men from the tyranny of the Diuell hee might ouerthrowe his Kingdome but because Sathan coulde not beare the power which hee perceyued to bring destructioÌ„ vnto him he sought to stay Christe in coÌ„ntempt by a vayne titell Vexed vvith an vncleane spirite E. As concerning the vncleane spirite reade the xii of Mathew BV. He is called a Spirite of his substance and of his nature and quality impure or vncleane R. As touching the power of Sathan we must first of al note that al men by reason of sinne are borne in the power of Sathan and are by nature the mancion places of Sathan and doe abide in his power vntil they be deliuered by Christ But Sathan in diuerse men doth shew his power and tyranny diuersly For one man is caryed headlonge of him by anger another by filthy lust he maketh one man his bondman through couetousnes and another through arrogancy one man hee tyeth with the bandes of enuy and another with furor and madnes And although all men which by nature are the Children of wrath are captiues vnto Sathan yet notwithstanding they are properly called Demoniakes or possessed of Sathan which are carryed by Sathan to furor and madnes Such kynde of Demoniake is heere offered vnto Christe Saying 24. Alas what haue we to doe wyth thee thou Iesus of Nazareth Arte thou come to destroy vs I know thee what thou arte euen that holy one of God Alas vvhat haue vve to doe vvith thee A. Of this question reade the 8. Cap. of Mathew Arte thou come to destroy vs R. By these woordes Sathan doth reason the cause with Christe and confesseth that he knoweth him to be the holy one of God which should be the Redemer of Israell and whom God according to the saying of the Prophet gaue to be the pledge of the People that he might helpe vp the earth agayne and possesse agayne the desolate heritages that he might say to the prysoners Esay 49. go forth and to them that are in darkenes come into the light and that he knewe very well that he was ordeyned of God to oppresse his tyranny and to destroy him but he thinketh that the time is not yet come that hee should be cast froÌ„ his tyranny into perpetuall punishment Sathan truely is addicted of God to perpetuall condenmation yet notwithstaÌ„ding he shal not be tormented vntill the latter Iudgment the which thing Peter meaneth wheÌ„ he saith 2. Pet. 2. God spared not the Angels which sinned but cast theÌ„ down into hel deliuered theÌ„ into cheines of darknes to be kept vnto iudgmeÌ„t they are kept sayth he vnto the
matter they hated worse then any Dogge or Snake 7. But Iesus auoyded with his Disciples to the sea and a great multitude followed him froÌ„ Galyle froÌ„ Iury. BV. Here our sauiour Christe teacheth vs by his exaÌ„ple som times to geue place to the frowardnes of the wicked A greate multitude follovved him from Galile A. Math. sheweth that a great multitude folowed him but froÌ„ whence he sheweth not the which thing our Euangelist Mark doth in this place As touching the 8. verse reade the 12. of Math. 9. And Iesus commaunded his Disciples that a shippe shoulde wayght on him because of the people least they should thronge him BV. The lord in euery place doth teach vs by his example Now that he might vse the more quiet way auoyde trouble he auoydeth all vnquietnesse and taketh the occasion ministered vnto him And therefore he commaundeth a ship to wayght on him Here therefore certayne Stoyikes are confuted whych poynte a certayne godlinesse in neglecting the care of the body agaynst whom the Apostle Paule dysputeth in the 2. Coloss 2 1. Tim. 4 Chapter of his Epistle to the Coloss and in the 4. of the â— to Timothy 10. For he had healed many insomuch that they preased vppon hym for to touche him as many as had plagues E. The Lord is ryche and merciful towards all men he putteth none from his Doctryne nor from the benefite of healing Such was the feruent desire of the multitude for the greedines of healing that one of them did thronge another and did violently rushe vpon Iesus that they might at the least touch him for by the touching of his vesture only the diseases were put away Neyther had the mighty and gentle Phisition any respect of the men or of the diseases whatsoeuer they were that were troubled with any kynde of disease if it were their hap to come vnto Chryste they were healed And the lyke we see to bee done at this day by the power of the spirite For many out of all Nations of the world come vnto Iesus beinge subiect to many sinnes to much wickednesse and are healed by fayth a sure truste As many as had plagues Plagues and diseases are scourges for sinne For the diseases of the body are very profitable for the Soules health God scourging men as the father doth the Children 11. And when the vncleane spyrites sawe hym they fell dovvne before hym at his Feete and cryed sayinge Thou art the sonne of God A. In fewe wordes Mathewe declareth that all the power of this world yea and the power of sathan is brought vnder by the power of Christ Wherefore Sathan hath no power any more ouer the faythfull For Christ doth coÌ„municate his power to the Sayntes Reade for the 12. verse in our exposition of Math. 13. And hee wente vp into a mountaine and called vnto him whom he would and they came vnto him And he vvent vp into a mountayne B. This seemeth to be the order of the hystory When Christe had gone about all Galile preachinge and healing all those that were diseased there were gathered together a great multitude which came vnto him from all places there about which Mathew affyrmeth in the ende of his fourth Chapter he went vp to the mountayne to pray and contynued there all Nighte in prayer to God as Luke maketh mencion For his maner was when hee was oppressed to much with the exceeding multitude of People to goe into some solitary place out of the way that he might haue respete and quietnesse in the tyme of prayer that he might conueniently send away the people specially such as sought for nothing but carnall things to th' ende that he might with the more oportunity afterward preach spiritual and heauenly thinges to those which thyrsted after the same So Luke in the ende of the fourth Chapter maketh mencion that he went into a desert place and that when the people which followed him would haue stayed him he sayd I must preach to other Cities also and so sent them away For he addeth saying And he preached in the Synagoges of Galile The like you may reade in the fyft of Luke Euen so at this time also he went a part when he saw the multitude as sayth Mathew and passed away the Night in prayer And when it was day Luk. 6. as sayth S. Luke he called whom he would and as our Euangelist sayth here his dysciples and they came vnto him as Mathew testifieth in his fift Chapter and he chose 12. of them to beare him company to sende them forth to preache as this our Euangelist declareth vntill he commeth vnto the twenty verse With these Disciples therefore as sayth S. Luke which were chosen to be Apostles the Lord went downe from the mouÌ„tayne and stoode in a playne place which mighte contayne the multitude which was present Then casting his Eyes vpon all his Dysciples he opened his Mouth and taughte them as sayth Mathewe sayinge Math. 5. Blessed are the poore in spyrite c. C. But by the way we must note that Chryste as yet doth not properly ordayne his Apostles by this election that they mighte by by take vppon theÌ„ the offyce of Apostleship but doth onely adopt them to be his fellow Disciples in hope of the Apostleship In the which matter many interpreters are deceyued which coÌ„founde amisse this place of Marke and Luke with the tenth of Mathew But truely the words playnely sounde that they are onely forechosen to the imbassage to come which is in ioyned to theÌ„ in the tenth of Mathew And Marke and Luke heereafter in their proper place and order will declare that sending forth of the which Mathew there maketh mencion Neyther is it any meruayle if the heauenly schoolemayster did inure frame them by litle litle to so hard a matter as to teache a Prouince whose rudenesse coulde not be corrected by long exercyse of dysciplyne The Euangelist Luke expresseth the cause as it was sayde before why Chryste wente vppe to the mountaine namely that he might more freely pray in a solitary place This Example ought to be vnto vs as a perpetuall rule that wee begin with prayer so often as Pastors are to bee chosen for congregations otherwyse that which we take in hande shall haue eueâ—l successe For the Lorde did pray for his owne sake so much as to prescribe a lawe vnto vs. QuestioÌ„ But some man will say Dyd not Christe then pray earnestly to the Father that he would order this his election of the Apostles Yes truely wee deny it not Answer and we also say that hee declared by this testimony how careful he was for the Church So that he did not after his dayly maner pray vnto the Father but he spent al the nighte in prayer And called vnto him vvhom he vvoulde There is no doubt but that S. Mark meaneth by these wordes that the dysciples were not taken to so honorable for their owne
verse the 4. 5. 6. also reade the exposition of the 13. of Math. beginning at the 55. verse 7. And he called the twelue and began to send them forth two and two and gaue theÌ„ power agaynst vncleane spirites And he called the tvvelue A. This place agreeth with that whych is in the 10. of Math. the 1. verse And began to send them forth tvvo and tvvo Luk. 10. Luke sayth that the Lord hauinge appoynted the seuenty Dysciples sente them two and two before him And gaue them povver agaynst vncleane Spirites These wordes are expounded in the first verse of the tenth of Math. Where also loke for the exposition of the 8. verse following 9. But should be shoed with SaÌ„dales and that they should not put on two Coates But should be shoed vvith Sandales E. A Sandale is a kinde of Shooe among the Grecians appertayninge to Women the which onely kept the soales of the feete from harme and were tyed crosse the foote with narrow latchets And that they shoulde not put on tvvo Coates Luke more playnely sayth Neyther shall yee haue two Coates Namely one on and another to carry For the rest of this verse and that which is coÌ„tayned in the tenth and 11. following reade the tenth of Math. beginning at eleuenth verse 12. And they went out and preached that men should repent And they vvent out and preached C. Math. declareth not what the Apostells did Our Euangelistes Marke Luk. 9. and Luke say that they went through that Prouince that they were appoynted By whose words it doth euideÌ„tly appeare that the Office which Chryste then coÌ„ted vnto th'Apostells was but temporall and for a fewe dayes For they say that they went through townes Cytyes and there is no doubt but the very shortly they returned to their maister agayne as it is sayd in another place That men should repent Math. sayth that the Lord commaunded the Apostelles to preach that the Kingdome of Heauen was come Math. 10. Luk. 9. Luke simply sayth that hee commaundeth them to preache the kingdome of God and to heale the sicke The same commaundement he gaue to the other seuenty Disciples whom he sente before him to those places whether hee ment to come But as it may appeare by this place this also was added that men should repent because as Mathew hath the kyngdome of heauen was come And this was the very summe and principall poynte of the preaching of Iohn the Baptist of Christ also and his Apostles the which thing is dilligently to be noted 13. And they cast out many Diuells and anoynted many that vvere sicke vvith Oyle and healed them And they cast out many Diuell B. Where as Christe coÌ„maunded with the preaching of the kingdome of God to heale the sicke to clense the Leapers to rayse the deade and to cast out Diuells he did it to this end that this doctrine of life might by great signes bee commended to the whole worlde with no lesse excellency than the law was commended to the Iewes and that it might also be declared that the kingdome of Christe doth bring sauing health both to body and soule And anoynted many vvith oyle C. Here it may be demaunded Obiecti why the Apostells vsed to anoynte with Oyle and to what ende seeinge they had the gyfte of healing Answer Certayne learned meÌ„ say that it was a kynde of medicine And wee confesse that Oyle was very much vsed in those countreys but yet there is nothing more vnlykely than that the Apostles vsed ordinary and Naturall remedies which mighte obscure the myracles of Christe For the Lord did not make them cunning in the Art of healinge or of Phisicke but rather commaunded them to doe myracles that thereby they might styrre vp all Iewry Wee do determyne therefore that this was a visible signe of spirituall inuisible grace by the which they declared that health did proceede from the secret power of God of which they were mynisters For in the time of the lawe the grace of the spirite was commonly figured by oyle But how preposterously and out of all order haue they imitated the Apostelles which haue brought and established in the Church a continuall order and ryte of anoynting the sicke seeing that Christe gaue the gyft of healing to his Apostelles not that they should commit the same as by righte of Inheritaunce to their Posterity but that it mighte bee for a time a seale of the doctrine of the Gospell An abuse of Christs miracles by the Papists And at this day the foolishe ignorance of the Papistes is very ridiculous which say that their stinkinge anoynting is a Sacrament by the which they bring those that are almost deade to the graue A. They abuse also the commaundement of Iames which sayth Is any diseased among you Iames. 5. let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and anoynte him vvith oyle in the name of the Lord. 14. And king Herode heard of him Math. 14. a Luke 9. b. for his name vvas spread abroade and hee sayd Iohn Baptist is rysen agayne from the deade and therefore mighty vvorkes doe shew forth theÌ„selues in him And king Herode heard of him A. By the wordes of Mathew and Luke these wordes are thus to bee framed At that time Herod the king heard of the fame of Iesu and all that he did Our Euangelist in steede of these words the fame of Iesu hath His name vvas spread abroade But these things are expounded in Math. Chrysostome sayth that this fame of Iesu was not knowne to Herode at the first beginning of myracles but longe after namely shortely after the death of Iohn And hee sayd Iohn Baptist is rysen agayne from the deade The same words hath the Euangelist Mathew But Luke seemeth to disagree sayinge And hee doubted because it vvas sayd of some that IOHN vvas rysen from the Deade and of other some that ELIAS appeared and of some others that some of the olde Prophets was risen And Herod sayd Iohn haue I beheaded But vvho is this of vvhom I heare such thinges But these places may easely be reconsiled if wee say that HERODE firste of all contrary to the expectacion of others spake these wordes which LVKE hath So soone as hee hearde of the Fame of IESV But afterwarde the power of Christes Myracles beinge corroborated and confirmed that hee fell into their Opinion which sayde that IOHN was rysen from the deade and that he spake those thinges which are written by our Euangelists S. Mathewe and Marke the which is most likely As concerninge these verses reade in the 14. Chapter of S. Mathew 15. Other sayd that it is Elias Some sayd that it is a Prophet or as one of the Prophets 16. But vvhen HERODE had heard of him he sayd It is IOHN vvhom I beheadded he is rysen from death 17. For HERODE him selfe had sente forth His serâ—ants and layde handes vppon IOHN
and shall desire me to be crucified Fall not yee away therefore from me with them vnderstande these my sayinges for it shall come to passe that the Sonne of man shal be deliuered into the Handes of men Way yee rather thys and beleue that it is appoynted of my Father and that it must needes come to passe that when I am deliuered into the handes of men I shal be killed but being put to death I will ryse againe the thirde day Let your mynde be occupyed to consider of these thynges and arme your selues agaynst the base shew of the crosse For this admiration of the common sort of people is not your perfecte Glâ—ry there is another manner of Glory abyding you But the same must bee attayned vnto by Death These thinges wayed beleeued shall keepe and preserue you that ye be not herafter offended at me Our Sauiour Chryst knewe the weakenes of his Disciples and the great force of the temptation to come Math 11. and therefore he thought it good to fortifie their minds before the Daunger came for he had sayd before as appereth in the 11. of Mathew Blessed is he that is not offended at me 32 But they vnderstoode not that saying and were afrayd to aske him B. The Euangelyste Luke hath more saying But they wist not what that word mente and it was hid from them that they vnderstoode it not and they feared to aske him of that saying Mathewe addeth And they were greatly filled with Sorrow They were grieued when mention was made of death they thoughte not vppon the Glory of the Resurrection aforesayd and they were ignoraunte of the mistery of the crosse Reade the 17. Chapter of Mathew 33 And he came to Capernaum and when he was come into the house hee asked them what was it that yee disputed amoÌ„g your selues by the way BV. That wicked Vice AmbitioÌ„ doth very much hynder the worke of Pietye The Lorde therefore in thys present place doth seeke to take away the same and in steede of the same goeth about to inserte Humillity modesty Of the which wee haue spoken more in the 18. cap. of Mathew 34 But they helde their Peace for by the way they had reasoned amonge them selues who shoulde bee the chiefest C. They holde their peace for shame suspecting that the Lorde woulde reproue this ambitious minde C. They houlde theyr peace yet the Lord saw the thoughts of their harts as sayth S. Luke and at length when the Lord did aske them they could not deny that which they would haue hidden Let the ministers of Chryste note this that they do not onely abstayne from all contention of supremacy but from all thoughte also For if any of them conceiue this spirit that he wold be greater then his fellowes how soeuer he hyde it before men he hath God his witnes and Iudge Let them abstayne therefore from all wicked Desyers and let them only seeke to serue God and the Church For the Lord sayth Luke 28. He which exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe 35 And when he was set downe hee called the twelue and sayd vnto theÌ„ if any man desire to be first the same shal be last of all and Seruaunte vnto all And vvhen hee vvas set dovvne M. Hee sitteth downe vsing hys authority Math 5. going about to declare some seriose matter Hee called the tvvelue Luke 10 No doubte hee knewe who they were that desired to be chiefe He calleth the twelue because he knew that this admonition was necessarye for them all If any man desire to be first Hee meaneth by these wordes that hee is vnworthy of all Honoure and meete to bee the moste abiecte whych would be chiefest in his kingdome They thought that after the resurrection there should be a possession of some carnall Kingdome They thought thus with themselues Chryst shal not alwayes be despysed They Dreamed of a Carnall Kingedome such a one as the Iewes at this day dream of As concerning the expositioÌ„ of the 36. 37 verses read the 18. cap. of Math. beginning at the 2. verse 38. Iohn answered him saying Maister we saw one cast out deuils in thy name he followeth not vs and wee forbad him because he followeth not vs. B. This story is also declared by the Euangelist Luke in his cap. 9. VVee savv one cast out Deuils in thy name C. Hereby it appereth that the name of christ was famous at that time insomuch that they vsed it which were not his familiar disciples or els peradueÌ„ture abused it For we can affyrme nothing for certayn It may be that he of whome meÌ„tioÌ„ is made here imbracing the doctrine of chryst toke in haÌ„d to do myracles with a good mind But because Chryst indued none wyth this power but those whom he chose to preach the Gospel it is likely that he rashly toke vpoÌ„ him this office And although it was a preposterous presuÌ„ption of him to imitate the disciples wtout any coÌ„maundement yet notwtstanding this bouldnes wanted not successe because it pleased the Lorde by this meanes also to set forthe his name But to come to the matter The disciples say that they forbad a man co do Myracles But why dyd they not first aske whether it wer lawfull for theÌ„ so to do or nay for now they being doubtful of the matter requyre their maisters iudgemeÌ„t Whereupon it followeth that they toke vpon them to forbid rashly Wherfore whatsoeuer he be that taketh in hand more theÌ„ he knoweth to be graÌ„ted vnto him by the word of God is to be coÌ„dempned of rashnes Furthermore it is to be thought the ambition was in the minds of the Disciples of Chryste because they Labour to maintayne che Pryuilege of they re dignity For how commeth it to passe that they so sodainly put an vnknowne man from doing of Myracles but onely because they would Enioy this Dignitye alone The cause which they alleage for them selues is for that he followeth not Christ as if they should say he is not thy Disciple as we are why theÌ„ shall he be made equal to vs in dignity R. Here therefore we haue another in the Disciples as concerning the kingdoÌ„e of Chryst For as they thoughte the Kingdome of Chryst to be externall Earthly so they thought the congregation of those which acknowledged Chryst to be externall and Corporall insomuch that hee whych was in that Congregation Externally him they thoughte to bee a member of the Church of Chryst but hee which was not in the same him they thoughte not meete to be counted for a meÌ„ber of the Church To thys Error also was ioyned an ambitious minde So Iosue by a preposterous zeale prayed Moses to forbid Eldad Num â—â— and Nedad prophesyinge in theyr Tentes fearing least for their sakes Moses and the maiestye of the three score and teÌ„ Elders should bee put in hazard Math. 5. So the Disciples of Iohn gieue theyr Mayster counsel to forbid Iesus
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
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
spirite Euen as S. Iames teacheth sayinge Iam. 3.13 Is any man merry Let him singe Psalmes For Heauinesse and sorrowe doe both clogge the mynde also do hinder the tongue from celebrating the goodnesse of God Therefore so soone as Maries mynde reioyced it brast forth into the prayse of God E. Whereuppon for Soule Spirite the scripture oftentimes vseth this word heart and it is a phrase of speach very vsuall with the Hebrewes Psal 103.1 Psal 35.3 specially in the Psalmes Praise the Lorde O my Soule Also Say vnto my Soule I am thy saluation There is great force in these phrases of speach much more is expressed then if it were sayd Praise the Lord I magnify the Lord Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Hereby wee are taught that if we will truely praise God we must praise him from our heart for if the heart be not moued the Lord reiecteth abhorreth our prayse Therefore the true fouÌ„dation of thanksgeuing is the inward affection of the minde Thankesgeuinge vvith lips only is abhominable by these speaches we may see the difference betwene the spirite truth hypocrisie which magnifieth God with the mouth lyps only The Lord This is a word of power by which MARY preacheth the power of God by which he wrought in her works passing nature Moreouer she arrogateth non of these benefits vnto herselfe because she is the mother of god because she was blessed among women because she behaued her selfe modestly she chalengeth nothing to her selfe but a ioyful merry heart toward God Wherefore she acknowledging the receiuing of them froÌ„ him praiseth his holy name Thus we ought to leane vnto God only not to Creatures or to our giftes 47. And my spirite hath reioyced in God my Sauiour And my Spirite reioyced in God C. This is as it were a reason of the cause For there can be no true affection of praysing GOD except there be first Ioy. For in the scripture the cause is oftentimes made subiect to the effect as in this place And she calleth the spirite as we sayd euen now the minde and vnderstanding of the soule She so reioyced that shee gaue vnto him that prayse of all goodnes and whosoeuer do not the like are vnthankefull Verely this reioysing is the effect or signe of a quiet Conscience which by Faith was certaynely perswaded that God was pacified and fauourable In GOD my Sauiour C. Shee doth not without cause geue vnto God the name of a sauiour when she speaketh of the Ioy of her heart For vntill he be acknowledged God the sauiour mens mindes shall neuer haue the true and perfect Ioy but shal be alwaies heauy and careful Saluation in Christâ— vvorketh true Ioy. so that it is the only fauoure of God the saluation the commeth of him which make vs Ioyfull To be short this is the principall thing in the which the faithfull haue to Ioy that their saluation is in God for the which they must also be thankefull vnto him S. The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Deliuerer and Preseruer Which is somewhat more than a Sauiour This Tytell be longeth only vnto God in whom we al consist Mary after the maner of the Psalmes of Dauid calleth him the sauiour Deliuerer bycause nowe her whole minde was inflamed with the consideration of the saluation which was begon to be wrought in her 48. For Hee hath looked on the lowe degree of his Handmayden for loe nowe from hence forth all Generations shall call mee blessed For he hath loked on the low degre C. She sheweth the cause why the Ioy of her heart is founded vpon God namely bycause he had respect vnto her frely of his mercy For in acknowledging her lowe degree shee maketh herselfe voide of all worthinesse that shee may ascribe vnto the free goodnes of God the whole cause of reioysing For the low degree of the which mencion is made in this place doth not signifie submissioÌ„ modesty or the habite of the minde as certaine vnlearned men haue thought but signifieth only an abiect vile and vase condition The Sence and meaninge therfore is this Whereas I was base contemned of low degre it hath pleased God notwithstanding mercifully to looke vpon mee Therefore the Virgin calling to minde the benefits of God as we ought to do when we geue thanks firste of all wondereth the God had such respect regarde vnto her being base and of low degree that he chose her to be the mother vnto his sonne For this is the which she saith For he hath regarded the low degre of his handmaideÌ„ Where there is any dignity or worthinesse of the fleshe there is a vaile which will not suffer vs to beholde the grace of God Therefore vpon iuste cause shee maketh mencion of her low Degree R. As if she should say I came of the stocke of the famouse king Dauid but looke by how much my auÌ„cetors were more noble than I by so much am I the more miserable For that I may speake nothing of the Kingdome taken away from our kinred by tyranny to make no mencion of the great neede which I a maiden of kingly race haue a longe time suffred this verely of all other is the greatest misery that the tyrauntes which now enioy our kingdome doe so lye in wayte for the life of al those that are come of the stock of Dauid that hauinge already killed certaine men not so much as wee poore maydes women are in safety so that wee being not so much coÌ„temned as wee are a coÌ„mon scorne to all men know not where to leade a secure life But to her whom men despyse the Lord turneth his eyes of mercy hath chosen me to gret dignity He might haue regarded the dignity of others which far exelled me in nobility in riches but he would none of them hauing respect vnto me a poore needy Virgin This maketh mee Ioyfull for this I geue thankes vnto God To be short I am nothing for what soeuer I am haue the same coÌ„meth only vnto me because God hath respect vnto me by the grace of God I am that I am The Virgin coulde not morefully prayse God his grace C. Thus we see how Mary abaseth her selfe to exalte God alone And it was not a setting forth of fayned humility But a simple true confession of her perswasion which she had fixed in her mynde For shee was both of no estimation in the sight of the world she also esteemed of her selfe nothing the more M. And here we haue specially expressed vnto vs what the Nature of God is God bâ—holdeth things of lovv degre namely to haue respecte vnto thinges of small reputacion and to the lowest thinges Hee cannot looke vpward because there is nothing aboue him neyther can he looke on eyther side of him forsomuch as hee hath none nygh vnto him that is his
olde time commaunded the Booke of the Law to be sprynkeled with the Bloud of the Sacrifice 73 According to the othe vvhych hee sware vnto our Father Abraham that hee would gieue vs. According to the othe C. Hee maketh mention of the oth to the ende hee mighte the better expresse how firme stable hys truth is For so GOD beareth with vs that hee vouchsafeth by his name to beare vp our infirmity VVherefore if bare promyses are not sufficient for vs let vs call to mynd this confyrmation the which if it put vs not oute of all doubte wee are to vnthankefull vnto GOD and iniurious vnto his holy name A. This is euen that same which the Apostle wryteth saying Heb. 17. â— wherin God vvilling very abundauntly to shewe vnto the Heyres of promise the Stablenes of hys Counsayle confirmed it by an oath Which he sware vnto our Father Abraham R. Hereby wee see how true and iuste God is in keeping his promises For he doth not onely obserue those promises which hee made by the Prophets but hee also obserueth those CouenauÌ„ts which he made the Patriarkes specially with AbrahaÌ„ Dauid the whych also hee hath confyrmed with an oathe For this is the Testament or Couenaunte which God made with Abraham and hys Seede I wil blesse them that blesse thee and I wil curse them that cursse thee And agayne Gen. 12. â— Gen. 22.7 Thy Seede shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies and in thy Seede shal all the NatioÌ„s of the Earth he blessed And this Couenaunte he confirmed with an othe saying By my selfe I haue sworne I will blesse thee and Multiply thy seede And concerning Dauid it is written I haue made a CouenauÌ„t with my chosen I haue sworn to Dauid my Seruaunte Thy Seede wyll I stablish for euer and set vp thy Throane from one Generation to an other Agayne Psal 89.4 I haue founde Dauyd my Seruaunt vers 21. â—â— 29. with my holy oyle haue I annoynted him I wyll destroye hys Foes before his Face and plague them that hate him My mercy will I keepe for hym for euermore and my couenaunte shall stande fast with him His seede also will I make to endure for euer and his Throane as the Dayes of Heauen These promyses made to Abraham and Dauid concerning Victorye ouer theyr Enemies concernyng Security and Tranquillitie of Lyfe and the perpetuitie of a most happy kingdom seme no tende vnto Externall Blessings only as though they were to bee fulfilled onely in thys VVorlde But by thys verse of Zacharias which is as it wer a paraphrasis of the promises of god which were made vnto Abraham and Dauid we may plainely vnderstand that those promises dyd specially tende vnto spyrituall blessinges For hee expoundeth it that these thynges are to bee vnderstode of those Ennemyes which were ouercome by Chryst Iesus and of that Tranquillity and felicity of Lyfe which is purchased for vs by Chryste For Chryste dyd not conquere eyther the Aegyptians or the Babylonians â—ph 6.12 or the Romaynes by the Externall preparation of warre but hee ouercame those Enemies and deliuered his People from all those thinges of the which Paule speaketh Amongest whome Sathan is the chyefe secondly Sinne into the which SathaÌ„ by suggestion cast Adam Laste of all Deathe and hell Furthermore Chryst restored hys People not to that Security by which they mighte worship accordyng to the Leuitticall Lawe in Hyerusalem the which worship was onely ciuile and a Schoolemayster vnto Chryst but hee forgaue them theyr Sinnes for the which remission the conscience is made so quiet throughe Fayth that now it neyther feareth Sathan nor Synne nor Death nor hel 74. That without feare we being delyuered from the hands of our Enemies myght serue him That without feare BV. This includeth in it selfe that wee are assured of the Blessynges of this Lyfe and also of the VVorlde to come For a Chrystian man is secure and certaine of forgieuenes of hys Sins although as yet he feele them For he is out of al doubt that Deathe hath no Power in hym that Sathan doth not ouercome in him and that the VVorlde can not preuaile in him Notwythstanding vnderstande not thys to bee so spoken as though a Chrystian should haue no feeling at all of Sinne but rather that he is greatly disquyeted and as it were Tormented when Synnes do grieue and that the Image of Deathe dothe terrifye hym in so much that hee being pressed wyth the reproache and shame of the VVorlde standeth naked hath none in the whole Earth of whome he may seeke helpe but God alone Sathan and Sinne are felte but they brynge nothing to passe they ouer come not For the hearte is safe quyet in God Of thys feare the Apostle Paule wryteth thus Yee haue not receyued the Spyrite of Bondage to feare any more Rom. 8 1â— but ye haue receyued the Spyrit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same Spyrite beareth witnesse to our Spyrites that wee are the Sons of GOD Also 1. Ioh. 4.18 Feare is not in Loue but perfecte Loue casteth out Feare because feare hath painefulnes for he which feareth is not perfect in loue C. Therefore the meanynge of Zacharyas is Feare is coÌ„trary to Faith that GOD can not bee VVorshyped but wyth Peaceable and quyet Myndes For they which are oute of Quyet whych reason and contende wyth them selues whether they haue hym Fauourable vnto them yea or no whether hee accepteth theyr Obedyence or reiecteth the same To bee shorte whych are tossed carryed betweene Hope and Feare do take greate paynes in VVorshypping GOD but yet they doe neuer Syncereâ—y and wyth they re whoale Hearte submyt them selues vnto him For feare and trembling maketh them to abhorre him in such wyse that if it were possible they would haue his deuine Maiesty cleane taken away Psa 130.4 VVe know that no Sacrifice is acceptable vnto God but that which commeth froÌ„ a good will willing mynd Wherefore that men may truly worship God it is necessary that theyr consciences be freed from feare Euen as Dauid also speaketh Mercy is with thee that thou mayest be feared RoÌ„ 14.23 For God wheÌ„ he hath geuen peace vnto men louingly calleth them vnto him and maketh them to come willingly and wyth an earnest desire to worship him HereuppoÌ„ the Apostle Paule sayth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne But seeing God reconcyleth men vnto hym in Chryst seeing by his Defence he preserueth them that they might be wythout all feare seeing he hath put theyr Saluation into his hand and Custody Zacharias doth iustly say that wee are delyuered froÌ„ fear by his grace Therefore the Prophetes doe make this proper vnto his Kingdome that men might voyd of feare imbrace peace and inioy peaceable blysse That vve being deliuered from the hands of our Enemies A. To these wordes appertayned the promises noated in the verse going before Myght serue
toward him And this is alway sene that whē Christ suffereth in his mēbers the secrets of many mēs harts are reuealed 36. And there was a Prophetise one Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asser which was of a great age had liued with a husband 7. yeres frō her Virginity And ther was a prophetise R. Iesus had receiued testimony frō Zacharias the priest frō Elizabeth his wife frō the Vyrgin Mary frō the Angels frō the shepheards of Bethelē frō the Magi that is to say from men of al sorts age condition Therfore now that he might haue the testimony of a widow also Luke bringeth forth Anna that we might haue it confirmed approued by many straunge inuincible arguments testemonies of all sorts of persons that God sent his son to be the sauiour of the world C. But Luke maketh mention here only of 2. of whom Chryst was receiued when he was offered in the Temple that to this end namely that we myghte learne to prefer that which belongeth vnto God before the whole world thogh it be very smal The Scribes hye priests wer very glorious in those dais but seing the spirit of God rested vppon Symeon Anna of the which almost all the Prynces were voyd these two alone deserued more reuerence then that greate multytude of those whych were outwardely paynted and garnyshed For this cause first the Age of Ann is put downe Secondly she is commēded to be a Prophetyse And thyrdelie shee is praysed hyghely for her Godlynes and chaste Lyfe For these thynges are they which by ryght brynge Estymation and credite vnto men And Verely there are none more deceyued by outwarde Counterfayte shewes then they whych by the Vanitye of theyr Dysposition are addyeted to Fallacyes and Hypocryticall Vysors B. LVKE also noateth Learning to bee in thys VVidow when he sayth that shee was a Prophetesse that is to say Learned and exercysed in the Scriptures expert of Gods wil and ensypred with the holy Ghost For as we may coniecture by diuers places of Scripture a Prophete seemeth properly to signify a mā endued by the inspyration of the Spyrit wyth the knowledge of deuine things aboue other men and which can instructe others concerning the wil of the Lord. Hereupon this Name was speciallie applyed to all those which were specyally addicted to deuine things yea whosoeuer by the inspiration of the spyrite spake straunge things were sayde to prophecie So we may read of Saule And the euill Spyrite sente of God came vppon Saule 1. Ki. 18.10 and he prophecyed in the middest of the house What other thinge do these words And he prophecied signifie thā that he spake straunge vnwonted things VVhereuppon also they which were endued with the good Spyrit of God and spake of deuine thinges haue seemed vnto carnall men to be out of their wits So it was sayde of him whome Elyzeus sent to annoynt Iehu Kynge Ki. 1.9.11 Act. 26.24 Wherefore commeth this mad man vnto thee So Festus thoughte Paule to bee mad when hee spake of deuyne thynges Therefore flesh and Bloude iudgeth that to be mad which it cānot reache vnto So that true and Godlie prophesying seemeth to be a certayne ability both to know and also to shewe forth fully and certainely the Wyll of God to the profite of the Church which ability commeth by the instincte inspyration of the holy Ghost Part hereof is a certaine foresight and foreshewing of thynges to come or else of thinges hidden and parte the whych in deede is more deuyne is an Ability to speake more aptly of God and Godlines Howbeit yee shall very seldome finde that they are called Prophetes who haue not the gifte of foresight and foreshewing things to come or els the knowledge to shew matters so secrete and hidden that it is not possyble for mans wit to reach vnto them as was that whych Samuell sayde to Saule cōcerning the Asses which he sought and Elizeus to his Seruaunt Giezi tould what hee had taken of Naaman the Syrian 1. Ki. 9.20 4 Ki. 5.25 Also Chryst toulde Nathanaell where he was when he was called of Phyllip Ioh. 1.48 Whereupon God geueth a marke whereby a true Prophete may be knowne in the 18. Chapter of Deuteronomy the 22. verse Namely that the same which the prophet foresheweth shall come to passe Howbeit in the 13. Cap. of the same Booke another Marke is geuen vnto him as that hee shall not withdrawe the people from worshipping God alone For it may be that GOD willing to try his people will suffer that to come to passe whych the false Prophet hath foreshewed Hereuppon Saules Page goinge about to proue Samuel to be a true prophet sayd of him Behould there is in this City a Man of God and he is an honourable man all that he saith cōmeth surely to passe And thys seemeth to be the meaning of Paule when he sayth But if al Prophesie and ther come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned hee is rebuked of all men he is iudged of all men and so are the secretes of his hearte made manifest so hauing fallen downe on his Face he will worship God saying that God is in you of a truth What meaneth this Hee is rebuked of all men 1. Cor. 1◠24 he is iudged of all men and so are the secretes of his heart made manifest But onely that the Prophets by the instincte of the Spyrite reueale the secretes of his heart the which seeynge no man can doe of himselfe the vnbeleeuing or vnlearned knoweth for a suertie that God doth worke and speake in them Nowe the People of Israell had alwayes almoste many such Prophets of the Lord which knewe and could speake by Visions or by dremes or by the motion and instincte of the spyrite concerning the will of God in dyuers thinges and also concerninge the actes of men far exceeding mans capacity Yea these were not wantynge in the primitiue Church Act. 13.2 For ther were such Prophets teachers in the church of Antioche who worshippinge God with fasting and prayer Act 11.28 the holy ghost sayd Act. 21.11 Seperate me Barnabas Saule for the Worke wherein I haue called them Such a one was Agabus who foreshewed the greate Famine to come and the imprysonment of Paule Act. 5.3 Peter also declared this kynde of Prophesie when he discouered the deceipt of Ananias and Saphyra And althoughe no man hath the name of a Prophet in the scripture which is not endued wyth the foresight and foreknowledge of things to come yet notwythstanding the pryncipall Offyce of Prophets hath ben by the instyncte and Reuelation of the Spirite to leade vnto Godlynes Whereupon the Apostle Paule sayth Hee which prophesieth speaketh vnto men Edification Exhortation and Consolation Co. 14.3 Such were the most excellent prophets in the Scripture As Moses Samuell Elyas Elyzeus Esayas Ieremy Daniel and others
like maner is that to be vnderstand which Luke vttereth here of Ann how that she serued the lord with fastings praiers For he doth not properly repose the worship of God in fasting but geueth vs to vnderstand that the godly womā dyd after this maner exercise her self that she might the better frequent praier Nehe. 1.4 Such was the fasting of Nehemias whē with an earnest affectiō he praied vnto God for the deliuerance of the people But fasting lest we be deceiued in the name is not simply a certain continency or skātines in meat drink but another maner of thing The life of the Godly ought to be in sobriety moderatiō that during their whole race they after a sort shew thēselues to fast But ther is beside this another tēporal fast as when we deminish somwhat of our accustomed fare for the space of one day or mo so we tie our selues to a more strait seuere cōtinency in that ordinary Dyet And this consisteth in 3. things in the time in the quality of the meates in the quātity The time that being fasting we may finish those actiōs for the which wee fast As for exāple if one for that he might be more feruēt in praier wil pray fasting before dinner The quality consisteth in this that al delicate dainty dishes may be set apart being contēted with more cōmon dishes The quantity cōsisteth in this that we feede more lightly more sparingly then our accustomed maner is only for necessity and not for pleasure 38. And she cōming at the same instant vpō thē cōfessed likevvise the lord spake of him to al thē that loked for redēption in Hierusalem And she cōming at the same instant A. The Euangelist noteth the time whē the prophetise came namely whē the child was reueled by Simeō whē he foreshewed things to come concerning him she came at this time vpon them being driuē therūto by the spirit Cōfessed likewise the lord A. Luke sēdeth the reader to the testimony of Simeon set down before sheweth that as Simeon praised the lord testefied that the same chyld was the lords saluatiō the light of the Gētiles the glory of the people Israel that is to say the true Messias euē so now in like maner Anne praiseth the lord opēly testefieth to al mē which loked for the redpētion that this infant was the true sauiour redemer promised by the prophets long before so much loked for C. And this godly melody vvhich soūded in the tōgues of Simeō Ann is cōmended by Luke that the faithful might exhort one another to singe the praises of God vvith one mouth consent And the spake cōcerning him to al thē C. Heere agayne the Euangeliste noateth the small number of the Godly For the pryncipall part of faith cōsisted in this looking for But it appeareth that there were very fewe whych had the same in theyr mindes To wait for the Redemption and to looke for the consolation of Israell signifieth one thinge B. They which looked for thys Redemption came very often into the Temple It may bee that many of the same were then present to whom Ann spake So they speake concernynge Chryste whych beleeue him and they speake vnto those in whome they hope that the Fruites of the Gospell wyll appeare 39. And when they had perfourmed all thynges according to the lawe of the Lorde they retourned into Galile to theyr owne City Nazareth Mat. 2.1 And when they had perfourmed all thynges B. Heere a doubte is made because those thinges which Luke declareth heere seeme not to agree with the wordes of Mathew For LVKE sayth that the Chyld was presented in the Temple of Hierusalem after the Dayes of purification were ended Straite after those thinges being don whych are appoynted by the law that he was brought to Nazareth And Mathewes History seemeth to bee ordered thus Namely that the chyld so soone as the wyse men were gone was carryed from Bethelem into Aegypte and not to Nazareth C. Thys doubte is easely taken away if we say that theyr Iourney into Aegypte was betweene both And that whereas Luke sayth they dwelt in their Cittye Nazareth it was after theyr flyght into AEGYPTE of the which MATHEW speaketh And if it be no absurdity for one Euangelyst to omyt that which another declareth there is no let but that wee may say that the Euangelist LVKE cutting of the time of the which hee was minded to make no mentiō made away whereby he might passe to the history following but neuertheles their Imagination is vayne which fain that Ioseph and Mary hauing done the Sacrifice of purifice of purification returned agayne to Bethelem there to liue For they do fondly imagyne that Iosephes house was there where he was so vnknowne that he could get no lodging And it is not without cause that Luke calleth Nazareth aswell the Cito of Ioseph as of Mary Whereby we gather that he neuer dwelte in Bethelem though he were borne there 40. And the Chyld grew and waxed stronge in Spyrite and was filled with wysedome and the grace of God was vppon him And the Chyld grew R. Luke in fewe wordes toucheth the Infancie of Chryst both for that hee hasteneth to the Description of those things which Chryst did in his Euangelicall offyce and also because Mathew hath descrybed before him those things which wer don concerning Iesu after his Infancy before hee came to bee twelue yeares olde C. Luke heere declareth the Chryst in hys Chyldehoode shewed after a sorte what hys office should be First of all hee sayth that he grew waxed stronge in Spirit By which words he geueth vs to vnderstande that as hee grewe in Age so hee increased in gifts of the minde Whereby we gather that this growing and increasing is referred to hys humane Nature For nothing coulde be added to his Diuinity B. Therfore we oughte to acknowledge him to bee Chryst which hath taken vppon hym our humane nature and thereupon we must way and consider what belōgeth to his humanity For as hee is God hee hath all affluence increase of himselfe as he is man he receyueth from the Father whatsoeuer he hath He. 4.15 of whome hee hath all fulnesse from the which we draw Accordinge to the fleshe hee was made like vnto vs in all thinges without sinne Wherefore hee is heere sayde in respecte of his humane nature to be strēgthned with gifts of the holy Ghoste to be filled with wisedome and to increase and grow Question C. Notwithstanding it may be demaunded if by and by after he was cōceiued in the wombe of the Virgin excell with all fulnes of the gyftes of the holy Ghost For it seemeth absurd that the Sonne of God should wante any thing to perfection Ansvver Answer is thus to be made if it do derogate nothing from his glory that hee was altogether emptyed and abased neyther cā this derogate
was consecrated by the voice of the Father and by the aparition of the spirite into his office of teachinge and Redeeminge of all those which belieue in him Concerning the originall of Ihon and his appointment to this Worke that hee mighte manifest Christe vnto Israell and prepare the People for him by preachinge Repentaunce wee haue spoken in the first Chapter S. And now to the ende he might shew further that the time of the Messias is fulfilled hee dilligently noteth the Emperour in whose raigne the Gospel began to bee preached Pontius Pilate beinge Liefetenante C. It is very likely that this was the seconde yeare of Pilates gouernemente as may appeare by that which Iosephus reporteth in his 18. booke of the Antiquities of the Iewes at which time the Gospell began to be preached by Ihon. Herod beinge Tetrarch of Galile C. This Herod was the second Heire of Herod the great which succeeded his father by his will and Testament For the Trarche of Iudea was geuen to Archelaus But when hee was sent into Vienna by Augustus that parte fell as a Pray to the Romaines Where fore Luke maketh mēcion here of two Sonnes of Herod namely of Herod Antipas who beinge made Tetrarch of Galile possessed Samaria Perea and of Philip who being tetrarch of the Region of the trachonites and of Iturea raygned from the Sea of Tiberias or Genezareth vnto the foote of Libanus from whence springeth the Riuer of Iordane And Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene C. Some haue falsly supposed Lysanias to be the sonne of Ptolomaeus Mennaeus which was King of Chalsis who was killed of Cleopatra 30. yeares before Christe was borne As Iosephus writteth in his fiftenth booke of Antiquities He coulde also scarsly bee his Nephewe whom Iosephus reporteth to be the author and stirrer vp of the war of Parthia for hee shoulde haue bene then aboue threescore yeares olde Futhermore seeing hee prouoked the Parthians to warre vnder the raigne of Antigonus it must needes be that he was at that time come to mans state And Ptolomaeus Mennaeus dyed long after that Iulius Caesar was stayne being entered into the order of the Triumuiri betwene Lepidus Antonius and Octauius as testefieth Iosephus in the 23. Chap. of his 14. Booke But seeing that this Nephew of Ptolomaeus was called as was his father also Lysanias hee might leaue his son so sirnamed also Howbeit without all controuersie their error is to be reiected which Immagine that Lysanias which was killed of Cleopatra lyued threescore yeares after his death This name of Tetrarche is here improperly taken as thoughe the whole Coūtrey were deuided into 4. partes But seeinge in the beginning Countreys were deuided into foure partes and other alterations followed afterwarde againe for honoures sake this name was the farther stretcht In the which sence Plini reckeneth vp seuentene Tetrarches in one Region or Countrey Reade our Comentary vpon the 14. Chapter of Math. verse 1. When Annas and Caiphas C. It is certaine that there were neuer two high Priests in the priesthoode at one time Iosephus testifieth that Cayphas was appoynted high Prieste by Valerius Gratus a litle before hee departed out of the Countrey At what time that Pilate was Liefetenaunt of Iury wee reade not in Iosephus that any alteration was made by him Yea when hee was put from the Gouernement and place and was commaunded to goe to Rome to answere his cause then Vitellius Liefetenaunt of Syria depriuinge Caiphas aduaunced Ionathas the sonne of Anani to the Priesthoode And whereas Luke nameth two high Priestes wee may not so vnderstand him as though hee gaue vnto them both all one tytell but hee nameth two bycause one halfe of the dignity of the Priestehoode remained to Annas the high Priestes Father in Lawe Wherefore Luke geueth vs to vnderstand that the state was so confounded disordered that there were was at that time no one true high Prieste but that the holy priesthood was rent and torne by ambition and tyrannical power Concerning Caiphas reade the 26. Chap. of Mathew and the thirde verse The worde of the Lord came to Ihon This Hebrewe Phrase of speache is very common in the Scriptures The woorde of the Lord came to Osee to Zachary and to others that is to say The Lorde spake vnto them and appointed them by his cōmaundement to their office bycause no man ought to vsurpe an office to himselfe for that were great rashnesse Such did nothinge of them selues but by Gods appointment C. Therefore Luke before hee shew that Ihon tooke his office in hande declareth that hee was called vnto the same by God that his ministery mighte sufficiently bee warranted vnto vs by authority Hereby wee gather that none are true Teachers but they which are called vnto their office by God For it is not sufficient to haue the worde of God except there bee Ioyned vnto the same a speciall callinge If therefore the most exellent Prophets taried vntill they were called of GOD what are they which at this day intrude them selues without such deuine callinge 3. And hee came into all the Coastes about Iordane preaching the baptisme of Repentaunce for the remission of sinnes And hee came into all the Coastes A. Mathew and Marke make mencion only of the Wildernesse but Luke sayth here that Iohn preached in all the Coastes round about Iordane But we haue reconciled these places in ou◠exposition vpon the thirde Chap. of Mathew the 1. verse Preachinge the baptisme of Repentance Marke also vseth the same kinde of speach Mark ◠4 Acts 19 4. And the Apostell Paule also in the Actes C. This forne of speach doth first of all generally shew which is the right vse of the sacraments Secondly wherefore Baptisme is instituted and what it contayneth A Sacrament therefore is not a dumbe Ceremony which sheweth forth some goodly shew without doctrine but it hath the Word of God annexed thereunto which quickeneth the externall Ceremony it selfe When wee speake of the Worde wee meane not that Word which some exorciste by magicall whisperings muttereth but which is pronounced with a loude and distincte voice to the Edification of Faith For Iohn is not sayd simply to baptize into repentaunce as though the Grace of God were included in a visible Signe but to preache what the profit of baptisme was that of the worde preached there might be an effectuall signe And this is proper vnto baptisme that it is sayd to bee a signe of repentance for the remission of sinnes S. Here therefore wee see that Baptisme is a signe of Renouation For men were inuited to repentance that they might bee new Creatures Wherefore this Sacrament is called the Baptisme of Repentaunce of his ende not that the externall signe is sufficient to repentance for Hypocrits do sufficiently shew how farre a sunder the truth and the figure are but here first of all the Institution of GOD is respected then the power of the holy ghost vpon the which dependeth the
conuersion he did not refuse to goe nor yet to be partaker of of their Feastes Therefore so we ought to shun euil men and Sinners that we seeme not to consent vnto theyr sinnes but rather seuerely to reproue them But if so be we may ioyne with them in any matter to edification we ought not to neglecte that occasion to winne them But it belongeth to those which haue no care for the Glory of Chryst for Profite and pleasures sake to winck at the wicked and to be theyr Table Companions Notwithstanding wee oughte not to denye the necessary thinges of this Life euen to the VVicked and reprobate because wee muste feede the Enemy Thus Chryste behaued himselfe and thus also all they which are endued wyth his spirite behaue themselues It is manifeste that the Lord did thus by the present history For it may be that this Symon and other Pharises also which were at the Feast swelled and were pufte vp wyth truste of theyr owne Righteousnesse This therefore hee purposed to cure both by his owne Woordes and also by the Example of the sinfull woman and for this cause he dyd not refuse to to come vnto theyr Feasts neither seeking of them Temporall thinges nor yet wynking al theyr sinnes 37. And behold a Woman in that city which was a sinner as soone as she knew that Iesus sate at meate in the Pharisies House she broughte an Alabastar Bexe of Oyntement Which was a sinner C. The purpose of the EuaÌ„gelist Luke in these Wordes is to noate what the condition of the Woman is and what the common Opynion of all men was concerning her For although her sodain conuersion had made her another in the sight of God theÌ„ she was before Yet notwithstanding as yet the shame of her former life was not as yet forgotten amonge men Therefore in the common iudgement of men she was a sinner that is to say a person of wycked and dishonest life B. Furthermore that this sinfull Woman was not that Mary the Syster of Lazarus of whom Iohn maketh mention Iohn 12. how that she anoynted the lord nor yet that Mary of Galile of whome Luke maketh mention in the Cap. followinge they may easely perceiue which are but meanely exercised in the Scriptures and are not contentions And when the Euangelyst calleth this Mary a sinner hee meaneth not that shee was a Sinner as all men Generally are sayd to bee Sinners but hee meaneth that shee was a Woman of most wicked and Iewse Life Concerning sinners we haue spokeÌ„ in the nynth Chapter of Mathew the 10. verse A. Also concerning the Alabaster boxe of oyntment Read the 26. cap. of Mat. the 7. Verse 38. And stoode at his feete behynde him weping and began to vvashe his Feete with teares did wipe them with the hayres of her head and kissed his Feete and anointed them with the oyntment C. Here we haue set forth vnto vs as in a Glasse the humanity gentlenes of Chryst who retaineth the same mind also at this day in calling al men vnto him Therefore no feeling of sin ought to terrefie vs from comming to him so that we come with the like mynde that this Woman did and be sure of oure selues that we wil not take the repulse Furthermore in this woman wee may see the force of true repentaunce who fearing no man followed Iesus euen to the â—able and wept so plentyfully that she watered his feete wyth her Teares She had felte the stynge of Death shee had felte the grace of God in Chryste this made her to set shame and feare aside so that she myghte disclose vnto him the whole grief of her mynd at whose hands she hoped to haue Consolation And althoughe there was shame in her in that she stoode at his feete and durst not come neare yet notwithstanding the same was such that it did nâ—t let her from commyng vnto Chryst For there is some shame ioyned with fayth In the which thing we doe see that we obserue no meane For eyther we are paste shame or else so fearefull that we thinke we haue no accesse vnto him Therefore let thys Woman be an example vnto vs. The prophet in like maner saith Vpon the Multitude of thy mercy I will enter into thy holy Temple Psal 58. Otherwise the Temple is shut vp against vs. After that agayn he saith I wil Worship in thy feare Let vs enter into the Temple of the Lord with Dauid but let our enâ—erance be vppon trust of his mercy and goodnes and let vs worship with Feare not with presumptuous bouldnes For Faith ought not to make vs presumptuous or past shame This Woman is modest yet notwithstanding she commeth ioyning to her modesty Fayth and to her Faith modestie Weping This is a signe of true repentance for weping proceedeth from sorrow B. In that shee stoode weping at the feete of Iesu we may coniecture the Chryste with the rest did sit aloft vpon a bedde prepared in maner of a Table according to the maner of that people in old time so that she standing might touch his feete C. This sorrow proceedynge from the knowledge of sin is a wholesome and continual companion of Repentance whether it goe be ore or follow A. Of the which the Apostle Paule writeth in his epistle to the Corinth And anoynted them with the oyntement B. This may seeme to some to be cost bestowed in vaine â— Co. 7 10 because it was a precious oyntment as may appeare in that it was put into an Alabastar boxe But let no man say that it was superfluous coste for shee dyd well because Chryste was presente who ought to be worshipped not with one kynd of Worship onely Howbeit we ought not follow this VVoman in worshippyng God with oyntment In that she brought Oyntment being moued with the reuerence of Chryste it was a signe of true loue because shee would spend for the honor of the Lorde that thinge which was pretious Shee came therefore vnto Chryste with sure trust to whome Grace onely gaue her the way she came not impudently but brought with her true repentaunce with true Loue which shee declared by the effusion of the Oyntement 39. When the Pharisie which had bidden him saw it he spake wyth in himselfe saying If this maÌ„ wer a Prophet he would surely knowe who and what maner of VVoman this is that touched him for shee is a Sinne. The Pharisey thinketh in himselfe that Christ is no Prophet and that it is not the Office of a Prophet to receiue all without Respect and that Christ was polluted by the womans presence and dishonered SimoÌ„ is deceiued because he iudgeth of Chryst after his own fantasie the which belongeth to proude men easely reiecting that which they thinke vnmete for theyr person Hee is deceiued also in iudging the woman according to her former life for meÌ„ must rather be iudged according to theyr present state for God can alter and change men euery
Chryst he must needes loue God Thou gauest mee no water for my Feete Christ speaketh not these thinges to reproue his hoste SymoÌ„ of negligence as though hee had not honoured him sufficiently or courteously ynough entertained him but rather to beate down the pharisaicall pride and to shew that he was not hidden of hym to his house with a sincere pure hart seeing hee did not geue vnto him those things which the Iewes were wont at diuers Times to geeue vnto their guestes Gen. 18.4 Gen. 19.2 Iâ—d 19.21 C. So that we must note the comparisons in the which the Woman is preferred before Symon namelye because she with her Teares watered Chrysts feete and anoynted his heade when as hee commaunded not so much as common water to bee geuen vnto him because she did not let to kisse hys feete when as he did not receiue christ with a kisse of entertainement because she poured precious Ointment vppon his feete when as he anointed not hys head with oyle And this was the cause why the lord which was a singuler exaÌ„ple of sparingnes suffered that oyntment to be spent because by this means the miserable sinful woman declared that shee oughte all duty vnto him For hee sought not for pleasaunt delights nâ—yther was he delighted wâ—th sweete odors neither did hee allowe Gloriouse worship but loked for the onely odor of true vnfained repentance of the which her flowing teares were manifest witnesses 45 Thou gauest mee no kisse but she since the time I came in hath not ceassed to kisse my feete My Heade with oyle thou didest not anoint but shee hath anointed my Feete with oyntmeÌ„t Thou gauest me no kisse A. The Iewes vsed to entertaine theyr friends and acquaintance wyth a kisse euen as we doe at this day wyth imbracing or with shaking by the hand as may euidentlye appeare to such as reade the Scriptures My head with oile thou diddest not anoynte The Iewes did vse to anoynt with oyntment in their feasts as wee haue shewed in our Exposition vppon the 26. cap. of Mat. Verse 7. 47 Wherefore I say vnto thee many sins are forgeven her for she loued much to whom lesse is forgeuen the same doth lesse loue Wherefore I say vnto thee BV. As if he shoulde say Therefore I would not haue thee to condempne her as a prophane and abhominable person who being iustyfied by her sinnes is no more a Sinner as shee was before but holy and iust C. VVherfore Loue in this place is not sayde to bee the cause of forgeuenesse but the following Signe of forgeuenes For hys VVoordes are in effecte thus much They which behoulde so large a desier and Loue of Godlynesse in the woman and iudge not that GOD is nowe Mercifull vnto her freely forgieuynge her all her Sinnes are peruerse Iudges For CHRIST doth not heere shew how men shall bee buy the Grace of GOD but proueth that GOD hath now pardoned this miserable sinfull Woman leaste mortal men should misâ—ike of her 48. And hee sayd vnto her Thy sins are forgeuen thee A. Now Christe comforteth the woman For although the Woman came not thither without faith yet notwithstanding she had neede of some consolation For she was vexed with the feeling of her sinnes for her Teares proceeded from great sorrow But if she had not bene afflicted this consolation might seeme superfluous Notwithstanding shee had faith C. Therefore it may be demaunded why Christe now promiseth pardon vnto her which shee had gotten already and of the which she was assured Some say that this sentence was spoken not somuch for her as for other mens sakes Other some beter Iudge that in these words he had speciall regarde of the Woman the which euideÌ„tly appeareth by that which followeth And there is no doubt but that she which had already tasted of the grace is nowe throughly absolued by the voice of Christe of whom she was perswaded that he was her only refuge of saluation Euen so daily our faith must go before when we craue remission of sinns at the hands of the Lord. Therefore although this woman brought with her a coÌ„ceiued trust of the grace which she receiued yet notwithstanding this promise was not superfluouse which serued very much for the confirmation of faith 49. And they that sate at meate with him began to saye wythin themselues who is this that forgeeueth sinnes also C. Here wee see the men being ignorant of the office of Christe do bring vnto theÌ„ selues new offeÌ„ces And this is the roote of the mischife that no man doth consider his owne misery the which no doubte would haue moued euery one of theÌ„ to seeke a remedy But Hypocrits which sleepe in their sinnes murmur as at a new thing when as Christe remitteth sinnes saying who is this this is an interrogation of the contempt of that person As if they should say what vile contemptible person is this which forgeueth sinnes specially seing the same belongeth to God only As we haue shewed in the 2. Chap. of Mar. 7. verse 50. And he said to the woman thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace C. Christe to stop the mouthes of these whisperes also to coÌ„firme the woman praiseth her faith As if he should say how soeuer these mutter grudge abide thou coÌ„stantly in that faith which hath brought thee sure saluation By the way Christe challeÌ„geth vnto himselfe the authority geuen to him of his father for bycause he had power to heale faith is rightly directed vnto him And hereby he geueth to vnderstand that the Woman was not rashly or erroniously mooued to come vnto him but by the motion of Gods holy spirit WhereupoÌ„ it followeth that wee can beleue in no other but in the son of God but wee must make the same the disposer of life death for if so be we beleue rightly in Christ bycause the heaueÌ„ly father hath geueÌ„ him power to remit sinns hee must needes bee robbed of his honor so soâ—e as faith is geuen to another Also by this place their error is confuted which thinke the sinnes are redemed with loue For Christ doth far otherwise define here as wheÌ„ by faith we imbrace the mercy of God The liâ—e speach we haue in the 9. Cap. Math. vers 22. Goe in peace B. As if hee should say Thou which hast beleued and hast geeuen credit to the preachinge of Repentaunce and to Remission Sinnes beinge tourned from thy wicked wayes and haste vnfaynedly declared thy selfe to take and to Worshippe mee for thy Sauiour and hast also testefied thy exceedynge Loue towards me goe in peace and be of a quiet mynd My Father wil neuer remember thy sins Thy Faith in me hath made the safe thou hast beleued that I caÌ„ restore thee into my fathers Fauour and obtain pardon of thy sins beholde thou hast receiued that whych thou beleuest go thy way now in safetie thou art the Chyld of God Heere Chryst declared himselfe to be the Sauiour by
of people to heare the worde of God The circūstance of time is also noted whē Christ is sayd to teach on the Sabothes Now this was the most conuenyente time to receiue Doctrine as we haue noated out of diuers places Therfore although the word of God be tyed to no places or Circumstances of times Yet notwythstanding at the wisedom and discretion of the teacher the same ought to be taught when ther is greatest hope of fructifying 11. And he holde there was a womā which had a Spyrit of Infirmitye eightene yeres was bowed together and could in no wise lifte vp her selfe C. Here is declared a myracle in the woman which was healed and the offence malitiouslye Conceiued of the IEWES because the LORDE had healed her on the Saboth Day LVKE sayth that the woman had the Spyrite of Infirmity in such wise that by the Contraction and shrynkynge of the sinnes her body was croked Because hee doth not otherwyse shewe what maner of disease it was it is lykelie that it was no common disease or such a one as the cause thereof was known to the Phisitions therefore he calleth it the Spyrite of infirmitie For wee know that by the Deuils means men are very much afflicted with straūge euils and vnnaturall diseases For although diseases come of naturall causes Yet notwithstanding there is no doubt but that they are punishmentes which the Lord sendeth for sinne And Sathan vseth them so often as it seemeth good vnto him Wee see what happned to Iob the Scripture is full of such Testimonies And was bowed together This Disease had so bowed the Womans backe that shee could not looke vp straite to heauen but went stouping downe to the groūd A. So that it seemeth that this was an extraordinary disease with that which Sathan afflicted this miserable Woman both in Body and minde C. Whereby the power of Chryste more euidently appeared by which he triumphed ouer Sathan not that sathan hath rule ouer men at his owne wyl but in that he hath power geuen vnto him of God to hurte 12. Whē Iesus saw her hee called her to him and sayd vnto her woman thou art loased from thy dysease C. In this miracle as in others also Chryst declared as well his power as his grace For he had further respect then to the disease For so long as wee sustaine the punishment of sin Sathā holdeth vs bound without mercy but Chryst is sayd to loase this woman How loaseth he her Doth hee loase her because he restoreth to her her mēbers No not for that onely but that externall solution was a signe of the inward loasing in soule For she myght haue ben deliuered from her disease and not haue bene loased frō the bondes of Sathan The cause therfore muste be ioyned with the effect So the saynts do oftentimes ioyne the wrath of God with theyr Sinnes euen as here the deliuerance from the disease and the cause are ioyned together And hee vseth the Preterperfectence or the time past Thou art deliuered when as not withstanding she was not deliuered or loased vntill Chryst had layd his hāds on her But she was loased alredy because the Lord had taken compassion on her and had decreed to heale her What then remained but that shee should receiue and apprehend by faith that which Chryst gaue vnto her Thus wee must haue respect vnto God by hope otherwise we shall see the diseases but shal be ignoraunt of the causes 13. And he layd his hands on her and immediately she was made strait and glorified God And he layd his hands on her A. Chryst vsed this externall signe so oftē as it pleased him For it was not necessary seeing we read that many wer healed of him with his word only but when it seemed good vnto him he vsed thys externall signe C Concernynge the vse whereof we haue spoken in an other place And glorified God here we haue in the womā an example of thanks geuing For to glorify God is to geue him thanks for the benefit receiued by Christ his son This gloryfiing of God is the effect of faith whych testefieth that the womā had faith the which whosoeuer hath he cannot be vnthākeful vnto God for his benefites Also that to glorify God to geue thanks vnto God are al one it is manifest by the example of the leper of whō it is said Luk. 17.16 Hee fel downe on his face at his feete and gaue him thankes There are not found that returned to geue Glorye vnto God but only this straunger 14. And the Ruler of the Sinagogue aunswered with Indignation because that Iesus had healed on the Saboth day and sayd vnto the people There are sixe dayes in which men ought to worke in thē therefore come that ye may be healed and not on the Saboth day Aunswered with Indignation A. That is to say he spake with Indignation because Chryst healed on the Saboth Day the which hee therefore did that the hypocrite might haue occasiō to speake agaynst the miracle It was not a matter done of purpose and yet notwithstanding all this was done by the prouidence of God Euen so the Lord doth oftentymes discouer the wickednesse and Hipocrisie of the wicked that they myghte bee knowne to the world There are sixe Dayes C. This Ruler durste not openly reprehend Chryst but tourneth the poysō of his waywardnes another way ouerthwartly condēning Chryst in the Person of the common sorte of people But this was wonderfull outragious mallice He telleth thē that there are sixe Dayes appoynted for labor but how foolishly doe they define that to be Labour which is permitted to be done onely wythin the compasse of sixe Dayes Why doth he not kepe them frō entering into the Sinagogue least they breake the Saboth Day VVhy doth he not commaund thē to ceasse from all the workes of piety But if men be restrayned from theyr workes onely on the Saboth day how vnmeete a thinge is it for the grace of God to bee tyed then He commaundeth them to come vpon other dayes to craue health as though the power of GOD lay a sleepe on the Saboth day and did not specially extende the same on that Day for the healthe and comforte of his People To what end serue Holy Assemblies but onely that the Faythfull might call for the Ayde and helpe of God VVherefore this wicked hypocrite speaketh as if the lawfull obseruation of the Saboth did stop the course of Gods Benefits exclude men frō calling vpon him and dyd depryue them of the Sence and feeling of his grace 15. But the Lorde aunsweaed him Thou Hypocrite doth not each of you on the Saboth Day loose hys Oxe or his Asse from the Staule and leade him to the Water C. In that he calleth him Hypocrite he doth it not to reproach him but sheweth that he which was a wicked man in heart preferred holines before Externall thinges Doth not ech one of you on the Saboth Day C. VVhen
as the Lorde mighte easely haue vsed many Arguments to refelle this grosse mallice he was contented with this one That if it be lawful to shew humanity to brute Beastes on the Saboth day it is out of order to make such a precise Holynes in the same that the Children of God may not be holpen 16. AND ought not this Daughter of Abraham whome Sathan had bounde loe eightene yeres be loased from this Bond on the Saboth Day C. There is a double comparison in the wordes of Chryst as of the Oxe wyth the Daughter of Abraham and of the Halter with the which the Asse or the Oxe is bound to his cribbe or staule wyth the bondes of Sathan with the which hee holdeth men bound to Destruction Ye sayth he which are such scrupulous obseruers of the Saboth dare loase your Oxen and Asses to lead them to the water And why may not I shew so much humanitie to the Electe people of God specially when there is greater necessity as whē one is to be deliuered out of the Bondes of Sathan And although the Wycked reprehender and cauiller helde his tongue for shame yet notwythstāding we see that there was nothynge so well done by Chryst whereat the wicked tooke not occasion to cauill And it is no marueile if Sathan endeuoured himselfe by all meanes possible to peruerte the Glory of Chryst which ceasseth not daily to disperse abroad his cloudes thereby to obscure the holy workes of the Faithfull Whō Sathā had bound lo eightene yeres R. Is then Sathan the author of Diseases Is hee which is diseased bound of Sathan Question Shall we say that hee which is sicke in Body is bounde captiue with the bonds of Sathā Is not the Lord our God sayd to send vnto vs Diseases and afflictions Ansvver To aunswer this we must first note what God is by his owne nature For God if thou well weigh his true and proper nature is nothing els but the chiefe and most excellent fountain of goodnes and health There is nothing in the nature of God whych is euill or diseased Wherefore God by his owne Nature doth neither make nor send Diseases vnto vs. For howe should he which is the chiefe Health and health it self create diseases How should the moste excellent ioy make sorrow and griefe Then thou wylte say whereof come Diseases Verely euen of sinne For if so be Death entered into the world by sinne then verely diseases also entered wyth Death which are foremessēgers of the same And Sathan is the Author of sinne He sayth Chryst was a murderer frō the beginning and aboade not in the truth because ther is no truth in him When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne because he is a lyar Ioh. 8.44 and the father of the same It resteth therfore that Sathan be the Author of Diseases also and diseases are rightly called the Bondes of Sathan Notwithstanding we must thinke that GOD himselfe sendeth Diseases and other manner of afflictions vnto vs. Fyrst because God geueth liberty vnto Sathan to annoy vs with Diseases For so he sayd vnto Sathan concernynge Iob. Beholde he is in thy hande Iob. 1.12 and 2.6 but yet saue his Lyfe Secondly because after that Sathan by the permission of God sendeth Diseases God receiueth them into his owne hand and vseth them as an Instrument to our Saluation For euen as the wycked facte which the Sonnes of Iacob committed against theyr Brother Ioseph by which they sould him vnto straūgers was the worke of Sathan and God taking the same into his owne hande vsed it for an Instrumente to worke the Saluation of the house of Israell Ge. 50.20 For so Ioseph himself expoūdeth it saying Ye thought euil against me but God tourned it vnto good to bringe to passe as it is thys day to saue much People aliue Euen so also Diseases are the works bonds of Sathan by which he worketh our Saluation Iob. 1 21 Iob. 2.10 So Iob thought of his afflictiōs The Lord geueth the lord taketh away Da. 9.7 So Danyell confesseth that the Exile into Babilon came of the Lorde for the which cause the Lorde tooke the same into his handes turned it to the Saluation of the Israëlites Wherefore when Diseases or other afflictions are sent vnto vs wee must acknowledge our sinnes wee must acknowledge them to bee in the power of Sathan for sinne Notwithstanding we must not thinke or iudge of afflictions and diseases as they are styrred vp of Sathan but as the Lord our GOD hath taken them into hys hands who being not onely the beste but also the moste wise and mighty Workeman of his singuler goodnes and wisedome Rō 8.18 bryngeth to passe that all thinges turne to good to thē that loue him Howbeit this woman was captiue vnto Sathan after a certaine speciall maner C. This also is to bee noted that Chryst calleth her the daughter of Abraham whose bodie was vexed by Sathan eightene yeres and that not onely in respecte that she was a Iewe but also because shee was one of the true members of the Churche Whereby also we may perceiue that to be true which Paule teacheth that some are deliuered to Sathan for the destruction of the Flesh 1. Cor. 5.5 that the Spirit might be saued in the Day of the Lord. Eightene yeres The Lorde noateth the space of time to certefy vs that although he doth not out of hand releue our miseries yet notwithstanding we must not dispayre A. The people of Israell were longe afflicted in the Land of Aegipte yet notwythstanding at the length they were deliuered from thence by the mighty hand of God So in like manner hee which lay by the pooles side was diseased eight and thyrty yeres yet notwithstanding at the last when he was paste all hope Ioh. 5.5.9 he found remedy in Chryst 17. And when he sayd these thinges al his Aduersaries were ashamed and all the people reioysed for all the excellent deedes that were dō by him All his Aduersaries were ashamed C. The Euangelyst meneth not that his Aduersaries were so ashamed that they chaunged theyr mind but he meneth that they were quite conuinced put to silence insomuch that all men knew theyr mallice and wickednesse in resisting the Lord. And all the people reioysed The people reioised be cause al things hapned to the Glorye of Christ because the Aduersaries had nothing to answer They were impudēt in reprehending yet notwithstāding now theyr mouthes are easely stopte Euē so there is no worke so good and excellente which shall not finde some slaunderous withstāders of the same For the Exposition of the reste whych followeth vnto the 22. verse Reade the 13. Chapter of Mathew verse 31. 22. And he went through all towns and villages teaching Iournyinge towardes Hierusalem Iournying toward Hierusalem C. It is vncertain whether hee speaketh of one onely iournying Mat. 9.3 Mark 6.6 or whether he meaneth
weeping gnashing of teeth when yee shall se Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and ye your selues thrust out B. Here he sheweth the Punishments which remaine for hipocrytes but specially for the Iewes that he might the more dryue them from theyr hypocrisie draw them to the study of the truth By weping Mat. 8.12 he vnderstandeth exceding sorrow by gnashing of teeth he meneth great honor feare When yee shal see Abraham C. The Iewes being farre vnlike to the holy Fathers were proud in vain of theyr oryginall and ofspryng neither did they vse any thing more cōmonly then the abusing of the title of the church For the whych cause Chryst testefieth heere that they were a degenerate sorte which swarued from the fayth and Godlinesse of the fathers being banished from the Kingdom of God And herewithall is ioyned a secret reprehēsiō as if he should say If now ye neglect to enter in at the strait gate because the multitude of those that go out of the way stay you do ye not see that ye are separated frō the order of the faithfull being thus ioyned to the vnbeleuing Wherfore if your eyes are now wholly bente vnto the world the last day shall brynge heauy vengeance vpon you for the same For thē ye shal know that you your Companions are from the kingdome of God and that ye haue no fellowship with Abraham 29. And they shall come frō the Easte and from the west and from the north and from the south shal sit downe in the kingdom of God C. This is an Amplification taken hereof that the Iewes being banished who thought themselues onely to be the lawfull heires of God the gētiles should be taken now into theyr place that they might obtaine the Lyfe promised to Abraham and his posterity And he compareth the Gentiles with them that he might styrre them by a holy Ielousie vnto the Faith Euen as Paule did account it the extolling of his office if by any menes he might prouoke them that were of his Flesh to such emulation Rō 11.14 And thus it was necessary that the Iewes shoulde bee prycked forward who thinkyng to wel of themselues despysed God wyth hys giftes This sentence is expounded in the eight Chap. of Math. verse 11. 30 And behold there are last which shal be firste and there are firste that shall be last C. Chryst vsed these words very oftē notwithstanding in another sence In this place his purpose was onelie to beat downe in the Iewes a vaine confidence of themselues who being chosen of God from amonge the rest of the whole worlde being themselues bold of this Dignity thought that GOD was tyed vnto them Ma. 19.30.20.16 Mar. 10.31 For this cause Chryst affyrmeth that the Gentiles which were at that time the outcastes and refice should be preferred before thē 31. The same day came there certain of the Pharisies and sayd vnto him Get thee out and depart hence For Herod will kyll thee For Herod will kill thee How they wer affected which gaue this coūsaile we cannot tell notwithstanding it is a probable coniecture that because they saw the greater part of the people to be addicted vnto Chryst that doctrine of the Gospell being receyued in many places they soughte to dryue him to another place We must noate what these friendely Admonishers were Luke sayth that they were certayne of the Pharisies And we know that the same Secte was not so fauorable vnto CHRISTE that it is likely that they would bee carefull for hys Lyfe What was their meaning then Surely they intended to make hym afeard and so to driue him into some Corner to hyde himselfe thynkyng thereby in a while to deminish his authority and to make hys Doctrine to quite forgotten R. It may bee also that HEROD dyd secretly suborne these Pharisies to perswade CHRIST to flee For seeing Herod had before put Ihon to death and sawe now that a greater multitude of men did followe Christe who was Ihons friēd hee might peraduenture feare least Christe woulde reueng Ihons death with force of armes and depryue him of his Dominion in Galile Wherefore seeing hee durst not openly bend his force against Christe he suborned Pharises who by dissemblinge great friendship might Counsaile Christe to departe out of Galile and to shun the cruelty of Herod that Christe being cast out he might be in Security and retayne the Maiesty of his Dominion 32. And hee sayd vnto them go and tel that Foxe Behold I cast out diuells and heale the people to day and to morrow and the thryd day I shal be perfected R. In that Christe sendeth the Pharises backe againe to Herod it seemeth greatly to cōfirme that which we sayd euen now namely that they came being subtilly suborned by Herod C. And it is certaine that Christ speaketh of Herod Antypas And although he was in behauiour a very Foxe and no lesse seruile than crafty in disposition yet notwithstandinge the craftinesse of his whole Lyfe is not touched in the name of Foxe but Christe noteth his priuy and secret snares by which hee lay in waight to ouerthrowe the Doctrine of the Gospell when as with open force hee durst not encounter with the same I sayth Christ by what subtilties soeuer hee practyseth will too day to morrow discharge that office which my Father hath committed vnto mee and when I haue ended my course then will I be offered for a sacrifice Exo. 22 28 A. If any man demaund how Christe called Herod Foxe seeing the law forbiddeth all men to speake euell of the Prince Wee answere B. that Christe did not transgresse the law for hee did not call him Foxe in contempt of his authority but by the power of the spirite and to declare his Fathers power which made him bolde not to feare him For the Spirite of God is aboue all power Christe speaketh not as a priuate man whose liberty whoso will follow let him take heede that hee be not voyde of the same spirite Herod though hee were a tyrante yet notwithstandinge being subtill crept into the myndes of men by deceipt in such wise that he ouercame all his aduersaries and yet stoode without any punishent There haue ben many tyrants which haue not dissembled their cruelty but haue openly manifested the same Nero and Caligula at diuers times boasted of their cruelty Tyberius being worse than they both hid his tyranny Such a one was Herod who playing the tyrant ouer the Iewes retayned still the fauour of the Romaines so contynued his kingdome Wherefore Iustly hee might be called a foxe A. Howbeit the purpose of Christe in this place was only to nyp the priuie and sly wiles of Herod with that which hee went about as is sayd to ouerthrow the doctrine of the Gospell Beholde I cast out diuells B. As if hee should say I will liue a few dayes and will shew diuers miracles and afterward
as this yonge man is encouraged vpon truste of his Fathers mercy to seeke a recōcilliation euen so vs the feelinge of Gods mercy must be vnto vs the beginning of repentance which stirreth vs vp to hope well And I will say vnto him Father C. Hereby we see that this also is required in true repentance namely that wee being confounded with the greatnes of our sinnes may returne to our heauenly Father For hee did meditate consider this meane in himselfe not thereby to deceiue his Father but to moue him to compassion I haue sinned agaynst Heauen Beholde here how that the subiection obedience due to the Father is appoynted of God For they which sinne against their fathers sinne also against Heauen For in this place heauen is taken for God Therefore they which do truly acknowledge their sinnes must also confesse them vnto God and that is a sure signe of true humillity The confession ought to answere the Offence When men are priuy to our sinnes we cōfesse our sinnes also before them otherwise we cōfesse to God alone if we offend him alone For the confession must be esteemed by the nature of the faulte I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne R. It doth not only suffice to acknowledge sinne but wee must also haue such a feeling of sinne in our Cōsciences that we must not only Iudge our selues vnworthy to bee called the sonnes of God but also that wee haue deserued extreme death damnation Psal 38 3 So Dauid acknowledged his sinne when he sayd Thy arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hande presseth mee sore there is no rest in my boanes by reason of my sinne So Daniell acknowledged his sinnes and the sinnes of the Israelites Wee haue sinned wee haue done wickedly Dan. 9.5.8 we haue liued vngodly And thus so many as seeke to attaine true saluation confesse their sinnes Notwithstanding in this pointe perfect repentance doth not cōsist neyther doth righteousnesse follow hereof by and by but wee must go forwarde to other degreese of repentance that is to say we must conceiue a good hope that the Father will not reiecte vs although wee bee not worthy of Pardon 20. And hee arose and came to his father But when he was yet a great way of his father saw him had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him This is the thirde parte of the Parable concerning the mercy of the father toward the sonne When he was yet a farre of Here wee see that God doth not tarry vntill we come vnto him for he meeteth vs. Let vs therefore call that to minde which was spoken in the eleuēth verse going before that God is not simplely compared to a man but that his mercy goodnesse is a hundred foulde more toward vs. Therefore there is no doubt but that so soone as wee are touched with repentance God receiueth vs into his fauour C. This therefore is the principall poynte of the Parable If men which are by nature desierouse of vengeance may notwithstandinge bee moued to bende and yeelde by fatherly pitty gently to pardon their sonnes willingly to require them being miserably lost God whose exceeding goodnesse excelleth all the loues of fathers will be no more seuere toward vs. And verely there is nothing spoken here of an earthly Father which God doth not promise concerning him selfe Before the cry sayth hee I wil heare them Esai 65 2◠Psal 32.5 Therefore as the Father is not onely here intreated with the prayers of his Sonne but also goeth forth to meete him and imbraceth him beinge rent and torne and deformed before he spake one worde euen so God looketh not for long intreaty but so soone as the Synner hath purposed to confesse his falt he meeteth with him of his owne accorde And fell on his necke kyssed him C. The Father doth not here cōplayne he chydeth not he threateneth not but by and by Imbraceth him Whereby wee see that the grace of GOD is offered vnto Sinners before they come vnto him by repentance For hee it is that worketh repentance in our heartes by his Grace that wee may come vnto him And in this poynt a mortall man is improperly compared vnto God For it belongeth not vnto an earthly Father by the secret instincte of his spirite to renue the stubborne heart of his Sonne Ezec. 11.19 as GOD doth who maketh of stony hearts flesshy hearts 21. And the Sonne sayde vnto hym Father I haue sinned against Heauen in thy sight am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne C. Here is noted the other parte of repentance of the which wee spake euen now when as the feeling of sinne is Ioyned with sorrow and shame For hee which is not sory that he hath sinned hath not his falt before his Eyes will neuer come to goodnesse Therefore it is necessary that a dislyking of our selues goe before Repentance And there is greate wayte in this maner of speache that the younge man is sayd to tourne to him selfe Esay 46.8 as one that was caryed away with wandering desiers of the flesh to forget him selfe And am no more worthy to be called R. Great and haynous are the sinnes grieuouse also is the sorrow but short is the confession S. Hee doth not reckon vp the circumstances of the sinnes according to the Custome of Hypocrits hee sayth not I haue lost so much money in such a city with play and so much in that City by Harlots in this and in that Feaste I haue bene drunken Thou hearest none of these circumstances but in a short summe he comprehendeth all his offences Luk. 18.13 A. euen as did he which sayd Lord bee mercifull to mee a sinner 22. But the Father sayde to his Seruantes Bryng forth the best Garment and put it on him and put a Ringe on his hande and shooes on his feete 23. And bring hyther that fat Calfe and kill it and let vs eate and be merry c. R. As Luke hath very liuely expressed in the Prodigall younge man firste of all the Image of a sinner lost with riotouse liuing and secondly of a repentinge Sinner euen so now hee setteth forth in his Parente the Image of the exceedinge clemency and goodnesse of GOD. C. And althoughe in Parables as wee haue sayd it were very fond to discusse euery particuler thing here notwithstandinge the letter shall not be wrested if wee say that our heauenly Father doth not onely Pardon Sinnes to forget them for euer but doth also restore vnto vs those Gyftes which wee haue forsaken Euen as when hee tooke them from vs he chastised our ingratitude that he mighte make vs ashamed with the reproche of our nakednesse For this my sonne was deade A. The Scripture is wonte to call those men Deade men which are Addicted and geeuen to sinne Whereby wee may gather that Repentance is a Resurrection from Death 25. The Elder Brother vvas in
see one Day of the Sonne of man and yee shall not see it C. By these woordes the purpose of Chryst was to admonish his disciples to walke in the Light before the darkenes of the night ouertooke them For this ought to haue ben a sharpe prick for them to make them seeke to profit so longe as they had the presence of Chryste when they heard that greate perturbations were at hand B. Christ therefore would haue his Disciples to depend wholy vpon him yea after his Departure though he were absent in the flesh and not to receiue any other Earthly Messias For hereunto the Iewes wer to redy For no doubt whē there was dissention betweene the dysciples and the Rulers of the People concerning speciall Opinions when many fell away from the Fayth and all places were full of false Prophets when there was in euery Corner persecution and when Tribulation also was at hand many carefully wyshed for the presence of Chryst if it wer but for an hower from whom they myght receiue Consolation and strengthe of mynde Therefore seeing Flesh requireth a Carnall Chryst and Sauioure and seeing the Disciples shoulde feele all aduersity and trouble leaste they also should follow false Chrystes deceyuers which shoulde promise vnto theyr followers Earthly Libertie and Felicity he admonisheth them heere to acknowledge no other Chryste beside him which should raigne in the spirite and not in the Fleshe vntyll that time in the which he should come as it were lighting from heauen to be seene of all men with Glorious Maiestie to iudge the whole worlde They whych vnderstand this place of the times of the last Iudgement are deceiued Concerning the 23. and 24. Verses following Read the 24. Chapter of Mathew verse 23. 25. But firste must hee suffer many Thinges and bee refused of thys Nation R. As if he should say Chryste muste raigne from one Sea to the other but he shall neither enter into this Kyngdome wyth externall Glorye and maiesty as false Prophetes do dreame neyther shall he be receiued acknowledged of his owne people but shall enter into his Kingedome by ignominy passion Crosse and Death So in another place he sayth Luk. 24.16 Oughte not Christe to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory A. For the Spyrit which spake in the Prophets foreshewed the passions of Chryst and the Glorie that should followe the same 1. Pe. 1.11 Also in these woordes Chryste sought to couer the offence of the crosse least the Disciples should be troubled with the grieuous afflictiōs to come which the Lord should shortly after suffer For the rest which followeth vnto the 32. verse read the 24. Cap. of Math. verse 37. and 17. 32. Remember Lots wife B. Chryste by these wordes exhorteth vs to runne vnto those thinges whych are before vs forgetting the Thynges which are behynde vs that we may alwaies thinke vpon that which we hope to be hereafter that is to say that we being fre from the whole desire of this VVorlde may earnestly hunger after heauenly thinges C. For Lots Wife was therefore tourned into a pyller of Salte because she doubting whether she had forsaken the Citie in vaine or no looked backe by which in dede she did distrust the worde of God It may be also that the loue of her neste in the which shee was wonte to reste quietly drew her backe Seeinge therefore the Lord would haue her to be a perpetuall Example we must strengthen our myndes with the Constancy of Fayth least in the middest of our race they bee ouerthrowen with doubting For the Exposition of the thirty three Verse Reade the tenth Chapter of Mathew Also for the Exposition of the 34. and the reste of the Chapter Read the 24. Chapter of Mathew beginning at the forty verse and at the 28. verse ⧠THE XVIII CAP. AND hee put forth a Parable vnto them to thys ende that men oughte alwayes to pray and not to be weary And hee put forth a Parable vnto thē C. We know how rare and difficile a vertue the custome cōtinuance of praying is in this our Infidellity bewrayeth it selfe because excepte oure prayers be graunted at the firste wee lay aside both our hope and also oure Godly exercise But this is a true probation of Fayth if a man being disappoynted of his desire doth not for all that discourage himselfe Wherefore not without cause Chryst commendeth vnto his disciples perseuerance in prayer That men ought always to pray C. In saying alway he meaneth the we ought not to be weary or to be dyscouraged If this were setled in oure myndes that prayers should profit vs we would not be weary But wee are by nature proane to impatience insomuch that if the Lord doth not by and by satisfy vs we ceasse from praying We must fight and striue therefore agaynst distrust and impatience And note here that to pray alwaies and not to be weary is not to vse much babling and repetition of Wordes as thoughe God were pleased therewith But by continuance of prayer is ment that we shoulde alwayes haue recourse vnto God A. To the which also the Apostle Paule exhorteth vs when hee wryteth thus Reioise euer Pray continually In all thinges geue thankes 1. The. 5.16 For thys is the will of God in Christ Iesus toward you R. And wee muste pray alway because prayer which commeth of Fayth in Chryst is the way by whych we come directely vnto God in aduersitie and by which we obtaine of hym most assured saluation For so the worde of God teacheth vs to thinke of prayer which commaundeth vs to praye and which promiseth the hearinge of oure prayer Psa 50.15 Call vpon me saith the Lorde in the Day of tribulation and I wyll deliuer thee Ioel. 2.32 Rō 10.13 Iho. 19.23 and thou shalte Glorifie mee And agayne Euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued Also Whatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my Name hee will geue it you Secondly the Examples of saints teach the same who in theyr afflictiōs had recourse vnto God were saued Whereupon Dauid said Our father 's hoped in thee Psal 22.5 they trusted in thee and thou diddest deliuer them They called vppon thee and were holpen they put their trust in thee and were not confounded A. There are diuers such Testimonies of Scripture which commēd vnto vs the profit of prayers 2. Saying There was in a certain City a certayne Iudge which feared not God neyther regarded man A certayne Iudge C. Thoughe the simillitude which our sauiour Christ vseth here be hard in shewe yet notwtstanding it is apte for the purpose teaching that his Disciples doe alwayes importunately intreate the Father vntill at the length they doe wreste that from him which otherwise he woulde not willyngly geeue not that God being ouercome with our prayer is agaynst his will moued to mercy but because he doth not shewby and by in
very dede that he was alwaies ready to hear our prayers Who neyther feared God Thys is an Example of an Vniuste Iudge and not of a Godly and mercyfull Iudge in whome there was no Shame whereas hipocrites are not voyde of shamefastnes For his words are thus much in effect If the wycked be cōstrained to do that which is right how much more shall God performe that which he promiseth who is by nature good yea goodnes it selfe As it is said in another place If you then being euill know howe to geeue vnto youre Chyldren good thynges howe much more shall your Father which is in Heauen Mat. 7.11 geue good thynges to them that aske of him Therefore thys Description preuayleth very much to amplify that we may be sure that we shal be hearde of GOD if wee persist in prayer 3. And there was a certayne Widow in the same City and she came vnto him saying Auenge mee of my Aduersaries C. Whereas Chryst setteth before vs a Widow which obtayned of the Vnrighteous and cruell Iudge her petycion because shee did not ceasse Daily to call vpon him this is the Summe that God doth not by and by helpe hys Seruaunts because he will be after a sorte wearied with prayers Moreouer although they are miserable and despised which call vpon him yet notwtstanding if so be they doe not faynt but persist in prayer he will behold them at the last and will helpe theyr necessities Howbeit this is not a comparison of thinges equall for there is great difference betwene a wicked cruell man and God which is mercifull but the purpose of Chryst was to teache that we ought not to doubt but that the faithfull by continuall prayer shall intreate the Father of mercy seeing that men which are geuen to cruelty by importunate callyng vppon will yeelde The wicked and hard hearted Iudge could not abyde the importunate cryes of the widow insomuch that he was constrained at the length to graunt How then can the prayers of the Faithful bee wtout fruite if so be they be continuall Therefore although we be wearye or if so be we persist not either if because Gods Eares seeme to be stopte the feruencie of our prayer waxe colde Yet notwithstanding wee may assure oure selues to preuaile thoughe no likelyhoode thereof appeare and with this perswasion let vs so fighte against our Impatience that long delay cut of our prayer Reuenge mee of my Aduersary C. This seemeth absurde vnto some that Chryst attributeth heere to the Electe a desyre to reuenge the which in another place he forbiddeth If any reply that the same must not bee asked before men but may be asked before God it is but a small shifte for he commaundeth vs to pray for our enemies How then can those thinges agre that a man should commend his Enemies vnto God and should also pray that he would punish them As touching the significatiō of the word the Greke word Ecdikein signifieth to reuenge or to take Vengeaunce it signifieth also to restoare a man to his right or to deliuer from Iniury in the which sence also the Latines vse the word Vindicare which though it properly signyfieth to reuenge yet it is often vsed for to deliuer from oppressiō or wrōg But if a man wyll stande vppon the Interpretation and will expound it to reuenge yet notwithstandynge there can nothing be gathered oute of this parable but that which Luke hath put downe in the first verse which is And he put forth vnto them a Parable to this ende that men oughte alwayes to pray and not to be wearye Therefore wee may not stande vppon one word thereby to draw out a sence contrary to the Doctrine of Chryste So God affyrmeth himselfe to bee the Reuenger of the Faithfull in the seuēth Verse not to lewse the Raines to the affections of the Flesh but hereby also to inuite vs to put our trust in his Defence and to perswade vs that hee is careful for our Saluation If so be we being pure and free from the desyre of Reuenge do by the motion of the Spirite call for help at Gods handes our request shal be holy and acceptable vnto GOD and hee will graunt it But bicause there is nothinge more harde then to put away those vicious affections that our prayers may bee holy and pure we must pray vnto the Lord to purge and to dyrect our harts by his holy Spirite and so our Praiers shall be acceptable he wil make vs answer 7. And shal not God auenge his elect which cry Day and Nighte vnto him hym yea though hee deferre them C. This vniuste Iudge whō Chryste depainteth vnto vs neither to feare God nor yet to care for man or hys owne shame did at the laste open hys Eyes to behold the misery of the Widow Euen so no doubte the Faythful shall receiue the like profite so that they ceasse not to call vppon God For if so be the vniuste Iudge being ouercome with her prayers was constrained to deliuer her from her Enemy GOD which is most iust merciful towarde his Electe beinge called vppon wyth theyr continual prayers and cries can not but heare and deliuer them from the violence of theyr oppressors And we muste note that Chryste applyinge this simillitude to his purpose doth not make God like vnto a wicked and cruel Iudge but showeth another maner of cause why God differreth hys Faithfull for a longe time and doth not reach out his hand at the first vnto them namely because he is patiēt Wherefore if at any time God suffer vs to bee Oppressed longer then wee would let vs know that the same is dō by his Fatherly Counsaile and Wisedome to teach vs patience sufferance For the longe sufferaunce of God towardes the wicked is not an eternall and Generall Quietus est 8. I tell you that he will auenge thē and that quickely Neuerthelesse when the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde Faith on the Earth C. In that he promiseth that God shal quickely auēge them it must be referred to his prouidence because accordyng to our Carnall Imagination he doth not helpe vs soone inough But if it were lawfull for vs to enter into his Counsayle we should knowe that his ayde is alway ready and timelie ynough S. Therfore he saith iustly that God will soone take vengeance Neuertheles when the Son of mā commeth As in the 26. Verse of the Chapter going before Chryst toulde his Disciples that a litle before his cōming there should be great security in the world so nowe in this sentence hee sayth there shall bee at the same tyme as greate scarsity of Fayth In Math. we haue these wordes And because Iniquity shall abound the loue of many shal waxe colde Ma. 24.12 but he that indureth to the ende shal be saued And a litle after he sayth And excepte the Lord had shortened those Dayes no flesh should bee saued but for the Electes sake he hath
heauen when he had disposed and ordered his Apostles and geuen to them the holy Ghost to go forth into the whole worlde that is to say to brynge them by the preaching of the world to the Kingdome of Chryst C. Howe bee it this is monsterous ignoraunce that the disciples being so oftentimes taughte concerning the Death of Chryste at hand would notwithstandynge styll talke of his kingdome And here was a double error First that they immagined a blessed rest without the crosse Secondly because they iudged of the Kingdome of God by carnall reason Whereby it doth appeare how slēder and obscure their Faith was For although they had tasted the hope of the Resurrection yet notwithstanding it was so small that they held nothynge firme and certaine concerning Chryst They beleue the redemer which was promised longe before whereby they conceiue the hope of the renouation of the Church but the same knowledge tourneth by and by into fained immaginations which either peruerte or obscure the force of his Kingdome This is brutish dulnesse to hasten to the Triumph before the battayle was begun specially seeing Chryst a litle before toulde them that a sharpe and and shamefull death tarried for him A. Thus we see that many infirmities remaine in the Sainctes and greate imbecillity of faith oftentimes to the ende we may know that Saluatiō cōmeth of God and might craue of hym daily the increase of our faith 12. He sayd therefore A certain noble man went into a farre coūtrey to receiue for himselfe a kingdom and to come agayne R. Fyrst let vs see heere whome thys Noble man doth represente whych wente into a farre countrey to receiue a kingdome for it is a parable Thys Noble man is our Lord and sauiour Iesus Chryste For he goeth nowe to Hierusalem not to receiue an Earthly or Corporall Kingdome as the Apostles dreamed but that hee myghte goe from thence into a far Countrey to receiue a spyrituall and euerlasting Kingdome The death of Chryste is his going A. Euen as it is sayde in Iohn Before the feast of passouer Iesus knowing that the hower was come that he must goe out of the World to the Father c. Iho. 13. ◠Into a farre Countrey C. The farre Countrey signifieth all that time in the which Christe is absent from vs euen from his death vntil his comming againe to Iudgement in the last day as wee haue shewed in Math. To receiue for himself a Kingdom R. The resurrection of Chryste frō death and his assention into heauen is a receiuing of the heauenly kingdom the which Kingdome Chryst hathe so receiued that he hath not forsaken hys Church for he said Ma. 28.29 I will bee vvyth you vnto the end of the world But because hee doth not rule in thys world a corporall kingdome A. For thus he testefieth concerning the condition of this Kingdome Iho. 18.39 My kingedome is not of this Worlde And to come agayne S. That is to say in his second comming to Iudgemente A. For it was sayd vnto the Galileās which behelde and wondered at hym as he entered into heauen Yee men of Galile why stand yee gasing vp into heauen Act. 1.11 Act. 3.19 Phi. 3.20 1. The. 4 16. This same Iesus whome yee see taken vp into heauen shall so come euen as yee haue seene him goe into heauen S. Peter also hath the like 13. And hee called his ten Seruants and deliuered them ten pieces of money saying vnto them Occupy till I come A. The Euangelist Mathew expresseth not the number of the Seruantes as doth our Euangelist heere Ma. 25.14 but he maketh mention of a greater summe of money R. Therefore when Chryste toke this Iourney he called his tenne Seruauntes and gaue vnto them ten poundes to euery one a pounde that they might be occupyed in the tyme of his absence These Seruaunts ar the Apostles and preachers of the word to whome Chryst committed the Offyce and ministerie of preachinge the Gospell For by the Gospell as the church is builded so the Riches of Christ are increased which riches are men obtaining Saluation by faith in Chryste To euery one as saith S. Paule is grace geuen according to the measure of the gifte of Chryst Wherefore hee saith When he ascended into heauē he led Captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes to men And straite after the same Apostle saith Hee gaue some Apostles Ephe 4 7◠and. 11. some Prophetes some Euāgelistes some Shepeheards and Teachers to the gatheringe together of the Sainctes into the worke of Mynistration into the edefyinge of the body of Christ Furthermore wee vnderstande here all those which are called by the Gospell to the faith of Iesus Christe For to euery one of these GOD hath gieuen proper and speciall Gyftes as well Spirituall as Corporall There are diuersities of giftes yet but one spirite and there are differences of administrations yet but one Lord there are diuers maners of operations yet God is one which woorketh all in all Therefore the giftes of God whether they belonge to the mynde as knowledge wisedome or to the body as health comelinesse Fortitude Riches and such like are geuen to this ende of God that vntill Chryst come to iudge the quicke and the Deade euerie one may bee occupied to increase the Riches of our Lorde and also to exercyse in them selues faith and charity For when the Lord gaue vnto his seruants these poundes he commaunded them saying Occupy til I come A. What it is to occupy and why the lyfe of the Godly is compared to occupying we haue shewed in Mathew R. Hee doth not occupy well who being Rych oppresseth the Poore and pilleth others by frawde and deceipt but he is well occupyed which vseth hys riches accordyng to the wyl of the Lord to help the Church and the poore Hee doth not occupy wel which being endued wyth Power abuseth the same to Tyrannie but which bendeth the same to the preseruing of the common Wealthe and of the Churche Hee doth not Occupy well which hauynge Wysedome dysdayneth other in Respecte of hymselfe but whych geueth Counsayle to such as wante the same Therefore euery gifte of God hathe his lawfull occupation which must be followed according to the word of God And it is not to be omitted that thys noble man gaue not all the poundes to one man but to euery seruant a poūd This was don to declare that hee gieueth nor all gifts to one man but to euery man his seuerall and proper gift For there is no one man that hath all gyftes and needeth not the giftes of other men The body saith S. Paule is not one member but many And the Eye cannot say to the hand I haue no neede of thee 1. Co. 12.14 neither can the head say to the feete I haue no neede of you c. 14. But his Citizens hated him and sent a messenger after him saying we wil not haue this man to raign
chosen before of God eueÌ„ to vs which did eate and drinke wyth him after he roase from the dead Wherefore when we heare the Chryste did eate after his resurrection let vs impute it to the cause afore alleadged C. And here the faithful must omit all curious questions as these If so bee this corruptible meate were concocted and digested what Nourishmente dyd the immortall body of Chryst receyue thereby also what became of the excrementes As though it were not in hys power which created all things of nothing to consume quite and cleane a litle meat at his pleasure Therefore as Chryst did truly taste the fish and the honicombe to shewe himselfe to be man so there is no doubte but that by his deuine power he consumed that which hee had no neede to receiue to hys nourishment Gen. 18.8 So in like maner we doubte not but that the Aungels did eate and drynke at Abrahams â—able euen aâ— they had taken on them true Bodyes Yet notwythstanding we graunte not that they did eate and drynke to satisfie the infirmity of the flesh And if wee graunt that the bodies which they had taken for a time after they had done theyr messuage were broughte to nothing who will deny but that the same happened to that which they dyd boath eate and drynke 44. And he sayde vnto them These are the wordes which I spake vnto you whylest I was yet wyth you that all muste needes bee fulfylled which were written of mee in the law of Moises and in the prophets and in the Psalmes R. After that our Sauiour Chryste had prooued by manifeste and euydente signes to his Disciples that he was risen from death to life he proceedeth to set forth that which was most necessarie of all other to enlarge the Borders of his Kingdome and to set forth the glory of his maiesty on Earth For Christ came not into this world to profite the nation of the Iewes only but that hee might bee saluation to the whole world Chryst roase again from death not that this one Iewe or that may haue life but that the hapynes of euerlasting life might be offered to all nations A. For so it was prophesied before I haue geuen thee a Lyghte to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my saluation to the whole world R. And there is not a more conuenyent Instrument whereby these things may be reuealed to the whole world Esay 49.6 and to all nations then the preachynge of the R. And there is not a more conuenient instrumeÌ„t whereby these things may be reuealed to the whole worlde and to all nations than the preaching of the Gospell concerning Christ Wherefore Chryst would not onely approoue his Resurrection before his Disciples but ordained also the open preaching of the gospel that thereby we might learne the profit of his Resurrection C. And first of all he speaketh concerning his office the cause of his resurrection that the Apostles might knowe that they should be witnesses of the same and might also teach to what ende the faith of the resurrection of Christ did belong For it is somewhat to beleeue the historie of the death and Resurrection of Christ but the speciall thing is to know the cause Wherefore he proceedeth farther when he saith that all that hath bene foreshewed of him must bee fulfilled These are the wordes which I spake By whiche wordes Christ doth secretely reprehende the grosse forgetfulnesse of his disciples who being familiarly taught concerning his resurrection to come were so astonished at the same as if they had neuer heard any mention thereof For his words are asmuch as if he had saide Why doe yee doubte as in a new or straunge thing the which notwithstanding I haue oftentimes foretold you Why do ye not rather remeÌ„ber my words For if ye haue hitherto accouÌ„ted me of to be a teacher of the trueth yee ought to haue knowen this thing by my doctrine That all must needes be fulfilled Moses law the Prophetes and the Psalmes haue speciall respect vnto Christe doe prophesie of Christ coÌ„mend Christ do sende vs to Christ our sauiour alone And although at sometime they seeme to handle other thinges yet notwithstanding the spirit hath alway regarde vnto Christ Seeing therefore the whole Scripture setteth foorth vnto vs Christ who alone is our righteousnes and redemption wee ought to be diligent in nothing more then in hearing the Scripture and in studying of the same day and night C. Herby also we are taught the certaintie of the Scriptures For the Father which speketh in them is not like vnto men which promiseth much and performeth litle for one iote or title of his promises shal not fayle Wherfore we may assure our selues of all those thinges contained in the Scripture euen as if they were already fulfilled A. Heauen and earth saith our Sauiour Christ shal passe Lu. 21.33 but my word shall neuer passe away 45. Then opened he their wittes that they might vnderstand the Scriptures C. Bycause the Lord hauinge done before the office of a Teacher profited lytle or nothing with his Dysciples hee beginneth now to teache them inwardly by his holy Spirite For words are spoken in vayne vntil such time as our mindes are illumined with the gift of vnderstanding Psa 145.8 It is very true that the worde of God is lyke vnto a Candell but it shyneth in the darknesse and amonge such as are blynde vntill the Lord geue the inward lighte vnto the eyes whose proper gift is to illumine the blynde And hereby it appeareth how great the corruption of our Nature is seeing the lyght of lyfe offered vnto vs in the word of God profiteth vs nothing at all Now if wee be not able to vnderstande what is ryght how shall wee bee able to obay Wee must needes confesse that wee are vnable and weake in euery respect insomuch that the heauenly Doctryne doth nothinge at all profite vs but as wee are illumined by the holy Ghoste 1. Co. 3.18 Therefore to the ende we may be meete Disciples for him it is coÌ„uenient that wee cast away all trust and confidence in our selues and to craue for lyghte from Heauen and forsaking also the foolyshe Opynion of Freewill to commit our selues to Gods gouernment R. Therfore it is not sufficient to heare and to reade the Scriptures dilligently but we must also rightly vnderstaÌ„d and beleeue that which wee heare and reade The Iewes haue reade the scripture but they doe not rightely vnderstand the same The Apostles also and the reste of the Dysciples knewe the Scriptures concerning the kingdome of Christe but they did not rightly vnderstand the kingdome of Christ wherefore they needed an Interpreter And we cannot haue a better or more learned Interpreter than Christ himselfe of whom all the Scripture speaketh which is also the true lighte Ioh. 1 9 lightening euery one that commeth into the Worlde Question C. But heere it may bee demaunded why Christe
him C. Zacharias doth not shew particulerly what the couenaunt of God doth containe but sheweth to what end God delt so louingly according to his mercy with the People to reduce them namely that they being redemed might geue themselues wholly vnto him and mighte make a vow to worship the Author of theyr saluation As therefore the efficieÌ„t cause of Mans Saluation was the free Mercy and goodnes of GOD euen so the finall cause is that men by leadinge a holy and Godly Lyfe might Glorifye his name The which is diligently to be noated that we being myndful of our Vocation 1. The 〈◊〉 may learne to vse the Grace of God in his place These senteÌ„ces I say are to be meditated that we are not called to vnclenes but to holines that we are redemed for a gret pryce 1. Co. 6â— not that we might bee the Seruauntes to fleshly Desires or to reioyse in vnbrydled Liberty but that Chryste might raigne in vs. That by AdoptioÌ„ we are made the Sonnes of God Tit. 2.11 that as children we might be obedient to our heauenly Father For in this appeared the goodnes and loue of God that we forsaking worldly desyres may liue holily godly and honestly Therefore Paule going about effectually to exhorte the faithfull to geue themselues vnto God in newnes of Life Rom. 52â— and to lay aside the olde man setteth before them the mercy of God The Scripture is ful of such Testimonies which shew that the grace of Chryst is greatly abased excepte we bend our selues vnto this scope and maâ—ke A. For this also is one end of our Election that we should be holy and vnblameable in the sight of God in loue Ephe. 1. â— euen as the Apostle Paule teacheth in his Epystle to the Ephesians We are therefore redemed and delyuered not to liue after the flesh but that we might serue the Lorde in feare 75. Wyth holynes and righteousnes before him al the daies of our life With holines and righteousnesse before him As God comprehended in two Tables the rule of Godly lyfe so here Zacharias pronounceth that we do then lawfully serue GOD when we frame our liues to holines and righteousnes For there is no doubte but that Holynes leadeth to the duties of Godlines which pertayne to the first Table of the law of the which Plato was not Ignorante But righteousnes is exteÌ„ded to al the duties of Charity because God requyreth no other thing at our Handes in the second table of the lawe â—ighteâ—usnes â—olines then that we geue to euery one that which is his owne And if any man seeke for this rule of Godly life let him loke for the same in the Law of God Before him Or. In his sighte Z. Hee seperateth and distinguisheth the holynes and Righteousnes which pleaseth men and by which it commeth to passe that wee appeare holy and iust be foremeÌ„ which is nothing else but mans immagined Hippocrisie from that which is acceptable vnto God and whych hee prescrybeth in his law Zacharias would haue vs to coÌ„sider that we are alwayes in the presence of God that he behouldeth our heartes to this ende that we might frame our liues vnto his will and Lawe that wee might doe all things euen as if he stode in his presence which is neuer absente which seeth all thinges For all thyngs are open before his eies and nothynge can be hidden from him C. Therefore it is not inoughe for the faythfull to order theyr liues wel onely in the sight of men beeause they muste liue according to the will of God who is not contented with external holines but doth principally behould the heart All the dayes of our life C. Least any man should thinke that he had don his duty when he had worshipped God a whyle Zacharias affirmeth that men are redeemed vppon this condition that they should endeuour them selues to worship God all the daies of theyr life And in very deede seeing the RedeÌ„ption the remembraunce thereof ought neuer to be drowned in Obliuion seing God hath adopted men vnto himselfe for euer theyr thankefulnes ought not to be momentany or for a short time to bee shorte seeing Chryst died and arose agayne for them it is meete that hee should be Lord of life and death Rom. 14.9 Therefore Paule commaundeth vs to lyue a holy and vpright life vntill the coÌ„ming of the greate God looking for the blessed hope and for the illustration or reuealing of the glory of the greate God and of our sauiour Iesus Chryst B. Therefore God will not haue of vs a momentany acknowledging of hys benefites but a perpetuall Tit. 2 13. during the race of our life He is euerlasting and is not chaunged Therefore hee whych acknowledgeth him can neuer be drawen away from his obedience for hee can finde nothinge that pleaseth hym better 76 And thou Chyld shalt be called the Prophete of the highest for thou shalt goe before his Face to prepare his wayes And thou Chylde C. Zacharias retourneth agayne to the commendation of the grace of Chryst but he doth it as it were vnder the person of his Sonne briefly defining the office of teachynge whereunto he was ordayned For althoughe as yet he doth not behould the gyftes of a prophet in the litle infant of eyght Dayes olde yet notwithstaÌ„ding tourning his Eyes to the purpose of God he speaketh as of a thing known BV. The Father therefore reioyseth ouer the infante because hee knoweth the excellencie of his Office and doth as it were prophesie The Prophet is as it were the interpreter of the Oracles of God a teacher also and a preacher in the Church by whom the Lorde speaketh vnto his Church reuealing his wyl as may be perceiued by the woords of Zacharias following and by the words of Mathew Where Iohn the Baptist is sayd to be preaching in the wildernesse of Iurie and saying Repente c. It is a most certaine Argument of Gods clemencie when God sendeth his Prophets to any People Math. 31. Prophets are a to â—eÌ„ 〈◊〉 Gods â—aâ—â—ur For the People cannot stande without Prophets For all things passe and slyde away The which may be sene at this Day where the Gospell is not preached For although there be in the same place many Godly men which are displeased with vngodlines yet notwithstanding none of them dare speake against the wicked or resiste theÌ„ but where there are faithfull Prophets they steppe forth and discloase wickednes and do openly crye out of it without ceassinge they exalte theyr voyce as it were a Trumpet and shew vnto the People theyr sinnes reprouing and condempning them to the ende the wicked might be ashamed and knowen and might be dryuen with feare which will not do well for the Loue of Righteousnes Question But could not GOD who can doe al things and whose wyll no man can resiste illuminate the harts of men with his spyrit that they might acknowledge and receiue
the Sonne when hee came to be a Sauiour But God obserueth this answer Ansvver He sēdeth first his Prophet who by his preaching may prepare the way of the Lord. Cōcerning the Office of a Prophet read the first Chapter of Ieremy And concerning the name of the moste highe we haue spoken in the 32. Verse of this Chapter already Shalt be called the Prophet C. To be called the Prophet of God in thys place is to bee counted and openly acknowledged for a Prophet Iohn was first secretly called it onely remained that it should be reuealed to Men what hee was The meaning therefore is thys The world shal vnderstand that thou art the Prophet of the highest But because the name of a Prophet is general Zacharias by the Reuelation made vnto him by the Angel adiudged this Child to be the forerunner of Chryst saying For thou shalt goe before the Face of the Lord to prepare his waye That is to say Thou shall trauaile throughe this Countrey that by thy preachinge thou mayst conuert men to heare the Lorde Mala. 3. ◠Esay 40◠1 Cor. ◠2. Cor. 3. ◠BV. These words seme to be as it wer described out of the Prophesies of the Prophets To go before the Face of the Lord is to be the minister of Chryst as Paule calleth himself C. But why Iohn denied himself to be a Prophet whē he had almost finished his office we wyll shew in the first Chapter of S. Iohns Ghospel Read our Exposition vppon the 3. of Math. the 3. verse What the preparing of the way of the Lord is the Verse following sheweth 77. To geue knowledge of Saluation vnto his people by the remissiō of theyr sinnes To geue Knowledge A. Zacharias expresseth how beneficiall and profitable the Office or ministery of his son shal be The Hebrew phrase is to prepare his way as thus that thou maist teach the people profitable things namely that theyr sins are forgeuen them BV. To geue knowledge of saluatiō vnto the people is by teaching to delyuer vnto the people the true knowledge of true Saluation But God alone by his spyrite illuminateth the hearts and geueth true knowledge notwithstanding to bring the same to passe he vseth the labor of ministers but so that all the praise and glory may come vnto God alone euen as Paule also teacheth By the remission of theyr sinnes C. Here Zacharias toucheth the principal point of the Gospel 1. Cor. 3. ◠when he teacheth that the knowledge of Saluacion is placed in remission of sinnes Ephe. ◠◠For seeing wee are all borne the children of wrath it followeth that by nature we are dampned lost And the cause of this dampnatiō is because we are guilty of vnrighteousnes Wherefore we haue no other remedy to escape Death then vnles God do reconcile vs vnto himself not imputing our sins vnto vs. And we may easely gather by the words of Zacharias that this onely righteousnes is left vnto vs before God For whereof cōmeth Saluation but of righteousnes Wherfore if it be not meete for the Sons of God to know any other Saluatiō then that which commeth by remissiō of sins it followeth that we muste seeke ryghteousnes no where else So that the righteousnes which proud men deuise vnto thēselues by the merits of their works is nothing else but the Imputation of Righteousnes seeing God freely forgeueth our desert Moreouer we must note that Zacharias speaketh not of straūgers but of the people of God Wherof it followeth that not onely the begynning of righteousnes doth depend vpon remission of sinnes But also that the Faythfull by imputation are iuste before God vnto the ende because otherwyse they cannot stand before his Tribunall seate vnlesse they flee daily vnto his free reconciliation 78. Through the tender mercye of our God whereby the Day sprynge from an high hath visited vs. Through the tender mercy of our God A. That is to say through his exceding great fauour or through the vnspeakable mercy of god the Latin text hath Per viscera miserecordiae that is to say Through the bowels of mercy For the bowels of mercy signify that mercy which proceedeth euen from the inward affections of the hearte And it is a Metaphor taken of men For wee fele our innermost bowels moued whē we are affected with any matter Wherefore the Scripture speaketh of Bowels when it maketh mention of mercy to signify the neare and inward motion of the affections Euen as the affections or bowels of mercy of a mother are moued toward her son when hee is at the poynt of Death Euen as it is written of that mother which stāding before the throane of Salomon 3 Kin. 3.26 beleuing that her Sonne should be deuided with the sword Ge. 43.30 was moued euen in her Bowels to the very heart Also of Ioseph we read thus And hee hastened for his Bowels were moued ouer his Brother That is to say hys affections were inflamed or his hearte yearned ouer his Brother By this phrase of speach the vnspeakeable loue and mercy of God is signified vnto vs. Where are now satisfactions Shall we preuent God that he may reconcyle vs vnto him We cannot For all thys spryngeth from the mercy of God Notwithstanding this forgeuenes of the faulte which commeth vnto vs by mercy came not without merite though with out our merit For there came betwene God and vs a mediator who deserued the same for vs which is Chryst Iesus our Lord. For it was the wyll of the Lord though hee would remit sins to be satisfied for the same and to haue his due honor geuē vnto him In this wee could do nothing Christe alone both could hath satisfied for vs who of that infinite loue of his father was sent to the same end was geuē vnto vs that he might finish the same And therfore he saith Wherby the dayspring from an hygh hath visited vs. Without all doubte it was not our merit but the exceding mercy of God only that Christ came to vs and merited so great remissiō of sins for vs to euerlastīg saluatiō vvherby the dayspring C. The Greke word signifieth the Easte part of the sun rising the cōtrary wherof is the west or sun setting Therefore he calleth Christ himself the sun rising Frō an hy This hee addeth to put a difference betweene the bodely Sunne whych ryseth vnto vs ascending from belowe to the height Zach. 3.9 zach 6.12 and that Sun which cōtrariwise rysing from the height descēdeth vnto vs to geue vs lighte Hee alludeth vnto the place of the Prophete where he sayth I vvill bringe forth the springing braunch my Seruaunt Againe Beholde the Man whose name is the Branch and he shal grow vp out of his place and he shal builde the Temple of the Lord. BV. And hee calleth him the Day sprynge from an hye in respecte of hys Diuinity by which he was is aboue al Creatures Where there