The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 24
The first Sonday after Easter.
Coherence of these Scriptures with the former, The reason of the chocie of these 4 Scriptures.AS the twelue Scriptures formerly selected out of the old and new Testament, for Easter day, hauehave made the doctrines concerning the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord very manifest vntounto vsus: so these that are culled out for the fiue Sondaies following, do serue not onelyonly to teach and peswade men to beleeue all the premisses: but to shew their faith, and beliefe in their holy conuersion. That so they may be the better fitted to make benefite of Christs Ascension,Examples of punishments, &c. another great poste vpholding Gods house: without which glorious act of our king of glory, the Church had neuer beene inriched with such riuers of Gods graces out of the holy sanctuary, as did flowe forth to them at the feast of Penthecost.
Now in the two first parcels of Scripture chosen for this day out of the old Testament,Summe of the two Scriptures of the old Testament. we may behold fearefull examples of vnbeliefe, gainsaying and contradiction in Core Dathan and Abirom, and in the peoples murmuring (who all paied very deere for it) as also in king Balaks perswading Balaam to curse Gods people, and in Balaams willingnesse to go with king Balaks messengers.
But in the two out of the new Testament,Summe of the two Scriptures out of the newe Couenant. we may perceiue what paines S. Iohn taketh to perswade Gods Church to beleeue, and what infallible testimonies he propounds to confirme vsus in the assured and vndoubted truth of the death and resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ.
The first of the foure Scripture written, Numbers chap. 16.Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Num. 16. relateth two histories.
The first,Parts. concerning the rebellion and punishment of Corah and his company,1 Corahs conspiracy. ve. 1. to the end of the 40.Two histories.
The second is as touching the peoples murmuring2 The peoples murmuring. with their punishment, ve. 41. to the end of the 50. the end of the chapter.
In the first part of the first history,Parts of the first history. we may see,
1 Who the rebels were.
2 VVhat number of consorts and conspirators they gat to ioyne with them.
3 VVhat their rebellion was.
In the second part of the historyThe second part of the first history. may be seene, how heynously Moses tooke it when he vnderstood of it, and what course he tooke about it, as
1 In reprouing them.
2 In calling, and twise summoning the rebels to appeare before the Lord, ver. 4. to the end of the 19.
The third part of the first history.In the third part,Vnbeleeuers and rebels punished. a commandement of the Lord concerning a separation to be made betweene the innocent and the disobedient: that hee might in an extraordinary manner visite the iniquity of those rebels vponupon their heads, verse 20. to the end of the 3….
The fourth part of the first history.In the fourth part of this first history is recorded, what was done with 250. Censors of those offenders, which offered the fire, being not of the seed of Aaron, vers. 36. to the end of the 40.
Parts of the second history.In the second history obserue,
First, the multitudes murmuring, the next morning, ver. 41. to the end of the 43.
Secondly, Gods separating of Moses and Aaron from the murmuring congregation, that hee might quickly consume the murmurers with the plague, which was performed indeed by the death of fourteene thousand and seuen hundred beside those that dyed of Corahs conspiracy, vers. 44. to the end of the 46.
Thirdly, the attonement which was made vntounto God for them, and the staying of the plague, ve. 47. to the end of the 50. which is the end of the chapter.
The second selected Scripture, Numb. 22.Eue. Prayer. 1 Less. Num. 22 tels vsus the history of Balak the king of Moabs, sending for Balaam the Prophet to curse the Israelites,Summe. because this king & his people were afraide of their great multitude the rather because they saw what Gods people had done before to their enemies the Amorites.Parts.
Balaks message sent to Balaam.First, the holy Ghost relates the embassages of the Princes of Moab sent vntounto Balaam vponupon the former occasions, and the answer of Balaam vntounto them.
The first message. The answer, The second message. The answer.The first message is expressed, ve. 2. to the end of the 7. The answer of Balaam to this message, as God appointed him to speake, to wit, to deny their request, or to go with them, ve. 8. to the end of the 14.
The second embassage which the king sent, is related, v. 15.King Balak through vnbeliefe persecutes Gods people. to the end of the 17. Balaams answer, as God willed him, was, that he would go with them, but he would neither say, nor do more then God enioyned him, ve. 18. ad 20.
Secondly, the holy Ghost declares how God was displeased with Balaams forwardnesse in going:2 Gods indignation for Balaams forwardnesse in going. and therefore sent his Angell to stand in the way, to be against him, whom Balaams beast seeing, was afraid, and by speech reproued her maister, because of his hasty violence toward her, verse 21. to the 30.
Thirdly, the text mentioneth the Angels reprouing of Balaam, 3 The Angels reprouing of Balaam.who confesseth his sin, and hath warrant from God to go with the kings messengers: but with Gods former Prouiso, verse 31. to the end of the 35. verse.
Fourthly, how the King himselfe meets Balaam, 4 The kings meeting of Balaam, and his conference with him.expostulateth with him about his refusing to come at the first, and offers him preferment to performe the mischiefe that was in the Kings minde. And how Balaam answered him, went with the King: who brought him vp into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the vtmost part of the people, v. 36. to the end of the 41. the end of the chapter:
S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist in the third Scripture, written 1. Iohn. 5.4. to the end of the 12.Epistle. 1 Ioh. 5.4. ad 12. verse, sheweth vntounto Gods Church how they shall ouercome rebellion and disobedience, murmuring, and distrust of God, incredulity,Summe yea the world it selfe, or any other enemy to mans saluation.Parts.
First he propounds the doctrine, ver. 4.5. For all that is, 1 Proposition,borne of God ouercommeth the world, and this is the victory, &c. Who is it that ouercommeth, but he which beleeueth that Iesus is the sonne of God?
Secondly,2 A relation how Christ obtained this victory, because Iesus Christ is the obiect of our faith & beliefe, to the end that in him by beleeuing, wee might bee more then conquerours, S. Iohn tels vsus how Christ gat this victory for vsus, saying: He came by water and bloud, 3 A twofold confirmation by a testimony heauenly, earthly,and it is the spirit that beareth witnesse hereof also, for the spirit is truth, ve. 6.
Thirdly, he proues this truth by a two-fold testimony. First heauenly, bearing record in heauen, Father, Word,Vnbeliefe and rebellion is ouercome by faith in Christ Iesus. and holy Ghost, which as they are one God, so they agree in one ve. 7. The second testimony is earthly, to wtt, 1. the Spirit, our acknowledging of God the Father in Christ by faith, according to the testimony of the holy Ghost, witnessing vntounto our spirits that we are Gods children.
2 Is water, id est, our iustification.
3 Is bloud, that is, our iustification, vers. 8.
4 Vse that S. Iohn makes of these two testimonies, 1 by application, 2 by conclusionFourthly, of these two testimonies S. Iohn makes vse, first applying them, and secondly concluding the necessity of our apprehending of Christ by faith: and in the third place, consequently, of attaining euerlasting life by possessing of Christ by faith, without which no man hath a right and true spirituall life, either in this world and life, or in the life to come.
Application.His application is in the 9. and 10. verse: If we receiue the witnesses of men, &c. He that beleeueth in the Son of God, hath the witnesse in himselfe, and on the contrary, &c.
Conclusion.His conclusion and consequence: And this is the word, that God hath giuen vntounto vsus eternall life, and this life is in his sonne: that is, Christ hath wrought and brought vsus this life by his death and resurrection, verse 11. He that hath the sonne, hath life, and he that hath not the sonne of God, hath not life, verse 12. For it is a necessary consequent, that who so beleeues in Christ, hath Christ dwelling in him, hath a spirituall life and conuersation here, but a most happy and coelestiall in the life to come.
In the fourth Scripture (recorded also by S. Iohn, chap. 20. vers. 19. to the end of the 23.Gospell. Ioh. 20.19 ad 23) we hauehave a most infallible assurance of our Lords resurrection,Summe. from himselfe, and his own appearing vntounto most of his Disciples: that they might confidently rest vponupon him who gaue them his blessed peace, which passeth all vnderstanding, his gracious and holy spirit, which should neuer faile them, his holy presence and power of remitting and retaining sinnes, which should bee perpetuall among them and their successors vntounto the end of the world.Christs often appearing to many after his resurrection
These fiue verses conteine Christs first apparition,Parts. Christs first apparition prouedwhich was most manifest and perspicuous, as appeareth,
First, by the circumstances of time, place, and persons:1 by circumstances of time place, and persons. The same day at night, which was the first of the weeke, & when the doores were shut, &c. vers. 19.
Secondly, S. Iohn proues the truth hereof by the manner of our Lords behauiour in the presence of his Disciples,2 by the maner of Christs behauiour before his Disciples, when hee had said: Peace bee vntounto you, hee shewed them his hands and his feete. The effect of which demonstration, Saint Iohn sets downe, and by way of Exegesis proues the truth aforesaid: Then were the Disciples glad, when they had seene the Lord, vers. 20.
Thirdly,3 by Christs repeating of his former salutation, being the preface or introduction to 3 fauours, Saint Iohn proues it by Christs iteration of his former salutation and deprecation, being as a prologue and preface to three notable fauours which he vouchsafed vntounto his Difciples and their successors, the true and faithfull ministers and seruants of Christ.
The first fauour is the glorious authority of their instituted ministery: As my father sent mee, so send I you, verse 21.
The second is a confirmation of this authenticke authority, 1. by a symbole of breathing, 2. by giuing of that which the breathing signified: Reeeiue the holy Ghost, verse. 22.
The third is a gracious and free promise of the powerfull efficacy of his authentike ministery consisting in a twofold power.
The first is of loosing and remitting of sinnes:Ministerial power is two fold losing binding of sin
The second of binding and retaining of offences: Whose sinnes soeuer yee remit, they are remitted, and whose sinnes soeuer ye retaine, they are retained, verse 23.