The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 40
The eighth Sonday after Trinity.
Coherence of these 4 with the former,THe Lord our God (as hath bene shewed before) doth charge Kings and people with obedience, and punisheth them for their disobedience to his commandements.Gods plagues vponupon Tyrants & false Prophets.
Now in these foure Scriptures we hauehave examples of Gods punishment vponupon a Tyrannicall King and vponupon disobedient, deceiptfull and false Prophets:Sūme of these foure. as also his louing mercy in the preseruation, protection and prouidence, towards and ouer the true & faithfull Prophets, sheepeheards and flockes of God. Wherefore a portion of Scripture is also chosen out for the Epistle, sutable to these examples, in the old Testament, and caueat of Christ in the new, wherein we are exhorted to bring forth the good fruits of the Spirit, as good trees, and good hearted people (for we are detters vntounto the Spirit, detters vntounto God) not to liue after the flesh: for that is a life here which causeth death and destruction hereafter.
In the first of the foure Scriptures for this Lords day (being 1. King 13.Mor. prayer. 1 Less. 1. Kin. 13.) these points are principally deliuered.Parts.
First how the Prophet that came from Iudah, cried out against Ieroboams Idolatry at Bethel, ver. 1.1 The Prophets reproouing of Iereboams idolatry. to the end of the third.
Secondly, how the King is punished both for his wicked deed of stretching out his hand,2 The Kings punishment for his boldnesse & tyranny. and his tyrannous commandement, Lay hold on him: but by the Prophets prayer to God, his hand is restored to the former estate, ver. 4. to the end of the 6.
Thi…dly, how the Prophet,3 The Prophet is seduced though he vowed the contrary though he denied to dine wi…h the King, or to take a reward of him, was neuerthelesse seduced by an old false Prophet at Bethel to eate bread in that Prophets house, verse seuenth to the end of the nineteenth.
Fourthly,4 God iudgeth the dissembling Prophet for his wickednesse. how the dissembling Prophet receiueth his doome from the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet which brought him backe againe, and of the effect of this sentence, by the Lyon which met him and slew him, albeit his carcase was vneaten, & afterward fetched and buried by the old Prophet, ver. 20. to the end of the 32.Gods comforts and care of true and faithfull Prophets,
5 Ieroboam is rather worse then better for these examples of Gods iudgmētsLastly, how Ieroboam made no vse of any of these punishments which lighted vponupon himselfe and others, but turned againe, making of the lowest of the people Priests of the high places: all that would (tag and rag) might consecrate themselues, Which sinne was the cause of the vtter subuersion of Ieroboams house, ver. 33. to the end of the 34. which is the end of the chapter.
Eue. Prayer. 1 Less. 1. Kin. 17 Scope of the chapter,The second of the Scriptures of the old Testament. 1. Kings 17. containes a memorable and miraculous example of Gods fauour and speciall preseruation of his true Prophet Elias in the yeares of the famine.
Parts.In the first part of the chapter Eliah dischargeth his duty vntounto Ahab in foretelling him of the famine to come.1 Eliah tels Ahab of the famine that was coming. ver. 1.
2 God makes the rauens to be caters for Eliah at Cherith.In the second part the text relates how God appointed the rauens to bring him bread & flesh morning and euening, at the riuer Cherith, ver. 2. ad 6.
In the third part how Eliah was prouided for by the widdow of Zarepthah, through Gods miraculous blessing, when the former meanes failed him, and that the riuer of Cherith was dryed vp,3 The widdow furnisheth Eliah of victuals though Cheriah was dryed vp. verse seuenth to the end of the sixeteeenth.
Lastly, how, for the further confirmation of the widdowes faith, Eliah by the power of the Lord did miraculously raise vp the widdowes son,4 The widdows faith is confirmed by a miracle wrought vponupon her sonne. ver. 17. to the end of the 24. the end of the chapter.
In the third chapter for the day, which is the Epistle written,Epistle Rom. 8.12, ad 17 Summe of the text, Rom. 8.12. to the end of the 17. vers. our Apostle wil manifest vntounto vsus who are the true sonnes of God, either being in the estate of Kings, Prophets, or people, who are good trees (as Christ speaketh in the Gospell) and who bee corrupt trees, which must be hewen downe and cast into the fire. The Apostle
Parts.First propounds a most true and peremptory concluding exhortation,Exhortation to walke spiritually. out of the premisses,1 A thesis or conclusion exhortatory, chiefly out of the verse preceding, being the eleuenth, his conclusion is, Therefore brethren we are detters, not to the flesh, to liue after the flesh. v. 12.
Secondly, he doth establish this proposition, with most firme and infallible arguments.2 A confirmation hereof by argumēt drawn
The first is drawne a disparatis, 1 A disparatis,If ye liue after the flesh yee shall die: but if you mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit, yee shall liue. ver. 13.
The second is drawne ab effecto triplici,2 Ab effecto triplici.
First, to be led by the Spirit of God, is to be the Son of God, is an effect thereof, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, &c. ver. 14.
2 An effect of being the Sonne of God by Adoption, is not the spirit of bondage to feare againe (as when we were slaues to sinne) but a spirt of boldnesse, louelove, and liberty, wherby we cry Abba father. ver. 15.
3 An other effect of the Spirit, is testimony to our spirits that we are the children of God. ver. 16.
The third and last argument,3 Argument a fine set downe in forme of a sorites, whereof there be 6 steps which is hypothetically set downe, which is, a fine, the reward propounded, our inheritance. And this reason is set downe in the forme of a most sweete and comfortable Sorites or Gradation, consisting of sixe staires or steps, 1. If we be children, 2. we are also heires, 3. euen the heires of God, 4. heires annexed with Christ, 5. if so be that we suffer with him, 6. that we may also be glorified with him.
The fourth Scripture, Math. 7.15. ad 21.Gospell Mat. v. 15. ad 21 Generall scope of the text. chosen for this day, is a notable steele-glasse, wherein popish recusants, recusant sectaries, all schismatikes, heretickes, time-seruers and hypocrites, of what estate and condition soeuer, either of the Magistrates, Ministers, or people, & all workers of iniquity whatsouer, may view & behold thēselues within & without.
Our Lord Iesus Christ,Coherence of this Gospell with the former. who in the former Gospel fed the people with food corporally, to teach mē to depēd vpō him only; doth in this Gospell instruct them in their soules spiritually, that they may know, how to try the spirits, that is, how and by whom their soules are fed aright,A perfect looking glasse for al Recusants, Temporizers, &c. with heauenly food and spirituall: for by painting and describing the false Prophets he points at the true.
Parts.Of this part of our Lords Sermon vponupon the mount there be two discourses.Two kind of discourses, Parts of the generall discourse.
1 A generall,
2 A speciall.
Of the generall there be two chiefe parts,
In the first he aduiseth both teachers and learners to beware of false Prophets, false teachers,
Reasons drawn and vsed to proue and vrge the caueat,In the second he yeelds reasons for this caueat, which are drawne.
1 From an outward adiunct attending vponupon them, to wit a rough garment wherwith they would deceiue, an outward couer of sheepes clothing, that is their deceit.
2 From an effect or exegeticall reason proceeding from the former, the end of the first & worse then the first, to wit, their cruelty in their murther, and that of the worse kind, inward and yet violent murther, inwardly they are rauening wolues. ver. 15.
This proues their deceitfull hypocrifie, and in the end their shamlesse villany, to begin (as Paul Rom. 7.11. speaketh of sinne) first with deceit, and secondly with cruelty and slaughter.
Sūme & scope of the speciall discourse, Marks & notes of false prophets.In our Lords speciall discourse and description hee sets downe the true notes and markes whereby to know false Prophets, that honest men (which are soonest beguiled) might not be beguiled by them,
The first marke is their actions, which Christ here cals by the name of fruits,The first badge of a false Prophet. and so begins his Allegory, by their fruits shall ye know them.
Those deedes or fruits, and workes of false Prophets are manifested by a similitude taken from trees,Illustration of their deeds by a similitude, which being of one species, do not degenerate, or bring forth fruits of an other species.
The Protasis Protasis.or simile is, Do men gather grapes of thornes, or figges of thistles. A true steele-glasse for false Prophets, &c.ver. 16. As if he should say, look for no pleasant or commfortable grapes, from sowre, pricking, tearing, and bloudy thornes.
The application or assumption of the simile is,Apodosis or appl cation. Proofes of this Application, So eueryevery good tree bringeth forth, &c. ver. 17.
The proofe of this Apodosis is taken
1 From naturall reason of the seuerall natures and qualities of good and bad trees, A good tree cannot bring forth euill fruite, & e contrario, ver. 18.
2 Is drawne from the contrary end or effect of a tree of contrary nature, EueryEvery tree that brings not forth good fruite is hewen downe &c. ver. 19.
The conclusion which Christ inferreth and repeateth out of the premisses, Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them, Conclusion vponupon the premissesver. 20.
The second badge and note of a false & murthering Prophet is his faire tongue:The second marke of a false Prophet is to brag of good words and of their good deedes, For the hypocrites and false Prophets will affoord good wordes vntounto God himselfe, much more vntounto man. First, they will not blush to say what they hauehave spoken, and in what manner they hauehave spoken, in thy name prophecied. Secondly, they will not be ashamed to say what deeds they hauehave done, and in what manner they hauehave done them, in thy name cast out diuels, &c.
Whereupon saith he (whose eyes are as a flame of fire) Lord, Lord, shall be in their mouthes. But not eueryevery one, Christs censure vpō their words and deedes and his condemnation of both.that is such that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter, &c. v. 21. For as Christ will professe vntounto them, that he neuer knew them, that is, acknowledged them for his Prophets, because they did not the will of his Father. So this shall be a reward of their seruice continually, attending vponupon them that hauehave vsed such double diligence, to wit, condemnation it selfe, a depriuation of entrance into the kingdome of heauen, as in the latter end of the 21 verse.