The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 46
The 14. Sonday after Trinity.
THe former texts of Scripture,Comparison of the combinations of the first lessons from the first Sonday after Trinity, with these that follow from this 14 Sonday to the 25 after Trinity, which were to be read in our Church for the first lessons at Morning & euening prayer, were culled out of the bookes of Ioshua, and the foure bookes of Samuel, and the Kings, being for the most part historicall, affoording vsus examples of holy life, and instructions of doctrine, with particular mention and relation of Gods fearefull iudgements executed vponupon the disobedient, and contemners of his word, whether Iewes or Gentiles, with his speciall fauours vntounto those that hauehave delighted in his laws, and walked in the spirit, and not performed the workes of the flesh.
The Scriptures of the old Testament that do follow, are taken out of the Prophetical bookes of three great Prophets,Righteous men, and good Rulers are hard to finde. Ieremy, Sūme & scope of these selected scriptures.Exekiel, and Daniel, and 3. small ones, as Ioel, Micah, Abacuk▪ and that worthy booke of the Parables, or Prouerbs of Salomon, wherein most bitter menaces of Gods anger be thundred out against the Church of the Iewes, and their citty Ierusalem for their grieuous sins of vnthankfulnesse, idolatry, & all kinde of vnrighteousnesse, and most comfortable doctrines of Gods sauing health both to Iewes and Gentiles, which bee penitent, which acknowledge and embrace effectually that Christ, and word of saluation offered.
And to proue the proposition of S. Paul true, that all hauehave sinned, Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Ieremy 5.and hauehave failed of the grace of God naturally, and that righteousnesse is not by the law, nor in the time of the law. The Prophet Ieremy in the first of these chosen scriptures,Parts. Ieremy chap. 5. is
1 Ieremies first search.First, willed and commanded by the Lord, to search in the streetes and citty of Ierusalem, among the people for a righteous man, that for his sake he might spare the citty, vers. 1. whereof a reason is rendred, to wit, their double dealing, faire speech, and protestations of goodnesse outwardly, but deceit and falshood inwardly, which the Lord detesteth. vers. 2.3.4.
2 Ieremies secōd search-Secondly, the Prophets second search is for a righteous and good Ruler among the great men, which because hee can neither bee found in the house of Israel, nor Iudah: therefore shall Gods iudgement hasten towards them, by the Chaldean, Grecian, Persian, &c. vnderstood by the Lyon, VVoolfe, and Leopard, verse 5. to the end of the 19.
3 Gods third commission to Ieremy concerning the denouncing of iudgements.The Lords third mandate to the Prophet, is concerning the publishing and denouncing of these future iudgements against Iacob and Iudah, which shall bee irreuocable, and most certaine in the Lords decree: As the sands doe binde in the sea by the Lords perpetuall decree, &c. whereunto is annexed a memorial of the Lords former fauours towards them,Ieremy is Gods baily to serue writs vponupon King & people. in giuing raine both early and late, and reseruing vntounto them the appointed weekes of the haruest. Which fauours of God, with many others their iniquities (which are in particular set downe) hauehave turned away and hindred good, ver. 20. to the end of 31. which is the end of the chapter.
The first Lesson for this euening seruice is written, Ier. 22. continuing other matters giuen in warrant, charge,Eue. Prayer. 1 Less, Ierem. 22 Scope of this chapter. and commission vntounto the Prophet, which he as the Lords special bayly and chiefe officer must in particular discharge, and serue vponupon them all,Parts. as
First, vponupon the King himselfe, his seruants and people,A first warrant which Ieremy must serue vpō the King himselfe▪ his seruāts and people.
1 That he and they do execute iudgement,
2 Rid their handes of euill.
3 And performe their duties according to the will of the Lord. That they may be partakers both King and people of speciall fauours of God, if they obey, and of grieuous punishments if they will not hearken, verse 1. to the 12.
The second warrant that he serueth is vponupon the couetous and proud oppressor whether he be king or subiect,A second hee must serue vpō the couetous & proud oppressor. & that is a wofull warrant, and a warrant of wo, because his house is built by vnrightenesse, and his chambers without equity, ver. 13 to the 19.
The third is as it were a proclamation of an exigent or out-lawry against the people, Priests, and king himselfe,A third is a proclamation of an exigent or out-lawry vponupon people Priests & King himselfe. They must bee all attached body, goods, & liues, at Nebuchadnezzars pleasure. for their contempt of the former processes, for their senselesnesse and security in their sinnes, and pleasing themselues in their wickednesse, wherein because they were so confounded, therefore confusion should be their punishment. They should be led by Nebuchadnezzar the king into the land of Babell or confusion, into an other countrie where they were not borne, and there they shall die: yea, Coniah himselfe shalt be as a despised or broken idoll, or as a vessell wherein is no pleasure, &c. ver. 20. to the end of the 30. which is the end of the chapter.
In our Epistle Gal. 5.16. to the end of the 24. ver. we hauehave a godly,Exhortation to righteous and spirituall walking. a goodly, and a golden exhortation vntounto righteousnesse, which he calleth by another name and phrase, to wit, walking in the spirit. For seeing that all the elect people of God, do through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse through …aith, it followeth necessarily, that they must walke in the Spirit, or else they can neuer obtaine that which they hope for,
Parts of the text,The text containeth
First, an exhortation.1 Exhortation
2 Confirmatiō Exhortation is to walke in the spirit.Secondly, the confirmation or establishing thereof.
The exhortation is, Then I say, walke in the spirit.
The first reason,1 Reason to vrge it. a consequenti vtilitate, or a priuatione, vel preuentione contrariorum effectuum, And yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. ver. 16.
2 Reason,The second is taken from the contrary, to wit, from that contrariety, repugnancy & strife which is betweene the flesh and the Spirit. ver. 17.
3 Reason,The third ab vtili, a deliuerance from the bondage of the law. And if ye be led by the spirit, yee are not vnderunder the law. ver. 18.
4 Reason,The fourth is, a descriptione contrariorum, a manifest laying open and discouery to all mens view of the repugnant warriours which fight these contrary battels,
5 Reason,The souldiars of the flesh, & in the flesh, are described, & their wofull, wages is appointed them. ver. nineteenth, twentieth, twentieth one.
6 Reason.The spirituall combatters are bewrayed & named, whose Princely priuilege is set downe, to wit, that there is no law therefore no punishment against them, verse twentieth two, twentieth three.
The ground of which priuilege and their letters pattents are sealed by Christ himselfe,The priuileges of spirituall souldiers are sealed by Christ
They are Christs, therefore they hauehave crucified the flesh, with the affections and the lusts thereof. ver. 24.
Christ exerciseth perfect charity and righteousnesse to the miserable lepers.Our gracious and mercifull Sauiour doth not onelyonly teach his Disciples, and the crafty proud tempting Lawier,Gospell. as before, the exercise of Christian charity,Coherenece of this with the former Gospel. Scope & drift of this text. and neighborly righteousnesse, but in this portion of Scripture also, Luke 17. ver. 11. to the end of the 19.Luk. 17.11 ad 19. euen by his owne example in healing of ten leapers, poore distressed soules, banished from mens society, instructeth vsus in that rule which he gaue to the Lawyer. Go and do thou likewise. And in that mandate which God by Ieremy, sent to the King, Priests, and people of Israel and Iudah
This Scripture affoordeth two generall or principall parts.Parts of the text.
The first is the occasion offered to our Sauiour of doing this miracle,1 Occasion of this miracle. and shewing this mercy, in the eleuenth, twelfth and thirteenth verses.
The second is the miracle it selfe,2 The miracle it selfe, in the other 5 verses.
The occasion is two-fold,Occasion is two-fold,
1 That which he tooke of himselfe purposely, which is two-fold:
1 By trauelling to Hierusalem, through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. ver. 11.
2 By entring of purpose (into a certaine towne) in a part of the 12. ve. where in his omniscient praescience he foresaw that the miserable leapers would meete him.
The second occasion which hee tooke of others, to wit, by reason of the misery of the ten foule diseased leapers, in the rest of the twelfth verse, vntounto the end of the thirteenth.
In the second generall of this text (which is the miracle) ate two speciall parts:Parts of the miracle,
First, either the mercifull and miraculous worke it selfe,1 The worke it selfe, consisting of two branches.2 The sequele of the worke, Parts of the worke.
1 Christs commandement Go shew thy selfe to the Priests.
2 The cure it selfe, As they went, they were clensed, verse: 14.
The second speciall is the sequele of the miracle,All that are clensed in body bee not clensed in soule. or that effect that this benefit and good turne (which Christ did) tooke in them to whom it was vouchsafed, which effect is two-fold.
1 Thankfulnes in one.1 Thankfulnesse in one of them. ver, 15.16.
2 Vnthankfulnes in the nine.2 Ingratitude in the other nine, in all the rest which were clensed, which sinne of theirs Christ
1 Reproueth: ver. 17.18.
2 For the shaming of them he doth cōmend the stranger.
3 Rewardeth his thankfulnesse, his thankfullnesse I say, proceeding from a true faith, with giuing him a free gift, to wit, the end of his faith, euen the saluation of his soule, so well as the free healing of his corporall leprosie: Arise, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. verse ninteeenth.