The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 49
The 17. Sonday after Trinity.
Coherence of of these foure Scriptures with the former … foure.THe 4. Scriptures which are chosen out for this daies seruice, are not much different from those of the former day. First, whether we respect the two out of the old Testament, wherin God reprocheth & vpbraideth the Iewes for their vnthākfulnes & disobedience, & their mis-conceiuing, therfore affirming that God punished the child for the fathers sinne:Summe of the two first Lessōs secondly, or these two out of the new Testament. In the first wherof Christs scholler doth exhort his schollers to answere their profession, in an holy life, & namely in practising of charity and concord.Sūme of the Epistle & Gospel But in the second S. Pauls Maister fulfils the commandement of louelove & charity in doing charitable workes & teaching humility vntounto proud exalters of themselues.
Parts.The first Lesson for morning prayer is Ezech, 16.Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Ezech. 16. containing these generall points.
First, the Lord by his Prophet doth cast in the Iewes teeth their abominable vnthankfulnesse1 A reproofe of the Iewes vnthankfulnesse, and neglect of all those benefits whereof he had made them partakers:God i… both iust and mercifull in his iudgements. yea those varieties of iewels wherewith hee had decked and inriched them. ver. 1. to the 14.
In the second place the Lord doth most plainely and in particular taxe and reproue them for their abuse of his benefites and graces, by their pride, contempt of his word,2 A reproofe of their abuse of Gods benefites by their pride & contempt of his word. and diuers sorts of idolatry, verse fifteenth to the end of the thirtieth foure.
In the third part of the chapter the Lord calleth out his defectiue and Apostate people (termed by the name of an harlot) to heare her doome, euen Gods definitiue sentence against her for her manifold iniquities and abhominations, ver. 35. to the 46.
In the fourth place (to aggrauate the heauinesse of their punishment) he sheweth that they had exceeded Sodome and Samaria in sinning:4 He describes the greatnesse of their sinnes. and therefore they must accordingly receiue and be partakers of iudgements and plagues proportionable and correspondent. ver. 47. to the 58.
In the fift and last part of this chapter God affoordeth plentifull mercy and fauour vntounto the penitent and faithfull,5 Gods louelove to the penitent & beleeuers. making an euerlasting couenant of pacification with them, verse fiftieth nine, to the end of the sixtieth three, which is the end of the chapter.
The second text of Scripture which is the first Lesson for euening prayer,Eue. Prayer. is Ezchiel, 18.1 Les. Ezech. 18. Scope of this chapter. wherein God sheweth himselfe equall in his iustice, and in his iudgements more mercifull then they tooke him for, (which supposed that he punished the children for the fathers faults) whereupon they brought vp a prouerbe:
In the ch…pter we may take view of these things.Parts & chiefe points,
First, how the Lord by his Prophet reprooueth and forbiddeth the vse of this prouerbe.1 A prohibition of the vse of the prouerbe, The Fathers hauehave eaten sowre grapes &c. ver. 1.2.3.
Secondly, the reasons of this prohibition2 Reasons for the prohibition and reproofe doe follow.
1 From that generall title and interest which the Lord God challengeth in all soules,No wicked man is d…barred from saluation if hee can truely repent, Ehortations to sanctimony.
2 From the particular title which he hath in the soule of the father, and in the soule of the sonne: twixt both which there is a difference, and therefore the soule that sinneth, whether of the father or of the sonne, it shall die. ver. 4.
3 A confirmation of the first prohibitiue proposition taken frō God threefold dealing with men.Thirdly, God confirmeth the former truth, as touching his iustice. by that course that he will take
1 With a righteous and iust man. ve, 5. to the 9.
2 With his vnrighteous and vniust son, that is, a theefe a murtherer, an vsurer, &c. ve. 10. to the 13.
3 With his good grand-child, which feareth the Lord, & doth as his grand-father did, but not as his wicked father did. ver. 14. to the 20.
Fourthly, vponupon these former decrees of the Almighty, set downe in particular,4 A generall proclamation grounded vponupon the former particulars containing two parts. vponupon the particular and seuerall estates and occasions of people, the Lord now descendeth to a generall proclamation, wherein
1 No wicked man is excepted, or from life exempted, if he will repent. ver. 21.22.23.
2 No righteous man hath any interest in this proclamation, after he is apostate from righteousnesse: for then hee is also exempted from life. ver. 24.
5 God answeres their obiection & con…tes it.Fiftly, the Lord answereth their absurd obiection, or rather their impudent deniall of the conclusion and begging the question, yet ye say the word of the Lord is not equal, Heare now ô house of Israel, is not my way equall.
Their position God confuteth, and confirmes his own by former instance induced in the fourth and 3 part,
1 Of a righteous man falling away from goodnesse,
2 Of a wicked man departing from euill and returning to goodnesse,6 A peremptory conclusion concerning the truth and iustice of Gods iudgements. ver. 25. to the 29.
In the sixt & last part of the chapter the Lord concludeth peremptorily the truth of his iudgements, that they are most iust in iudging, eueryevery one according to his waies: whereupon he exhorts them to repentance and newnesse of life: Because he is so far from punishing the good for the bad: that he desires not the death and destruction of the bad, but rather that hee should returne, grow good, and liue for euer, ver. 30. to the end of the 32. the end of the thapter.
The teacher of the Gentiles, exhorts the Ephesians chapter 4.1. to the end of the 6.Epistle Ephes. 4.1. ad 6. Scope of it. (a Scripture set apart for this daies Epistle) to walke an holy and sanctified life, because they are thereunto called. The partsParts. hereof are
First, an exhortation,1 Exhortation. in the 1. 2 & 3. verses.
Secondly,2 Confirmatiō Parts of the exhortation. the grounds and reasons whereon it is builded ver. 4 5.6.
In the exhortation regard,
First, the manner of it, discouering the zeale and louelove of the exhorter, his earenestnesse and care to exhort them, though he was a prisoner, his singular louelove to beseech & intreate where he might command.
Secondly, the matter which is generall or speciall
Generall, to walke worthy of the vocation whereunto they are called. ver 1.
Speciall, in shewing this worthy walking by the effects and fruites of the spirit, alwaies produced & growing from good trees. These acceptable fruites are
First, humility of minde, 2. meekenesse outwardly, 3,Fiue goodly fruits of worthy walking. long suffering, 4. supportation one of another through louelove. 5. an indeuour to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace. ver. 2.3.
The ground is manifold and most sure, wheron hee buildeth both general and speciall exhortations,Confirmation of this exhortation, but chiefly to peace by 8. reasons, but principally the fifth branch of the speciall, an indeuour to keepe the vnity of the spirit, &c. For the confirmation whereof and perswasion thereunto there be three reasons in the fourth verse.
The first is drawen from the vnity of the body, there is one body, the second from the vnity of the spirit one spirit, the 3. one hope of calling. These in the 4. ver. 4. one Lord, 5. one faith 6. one baptisme, ver. 5.7. one God, 8. one Father, 1. of all, 2. aboue all, 3. through all. 4. in you all. ver. 6.
The matter and manner of the fourth Scripture chosen for the GospellGospell. for this day, Luke 14:1. to the end of the 11.Christ finds fault with pride and hypocrisie, Luk. 14.1 ad 11.is little differing from the former preceeding Gospell:Agreement of this with the former Gospel, Parts of this text, Saue onelyonly that in this our Sauiour Christ performeth two things, and there he did but one (though as much & more then both these) the raysing of a dead man to life, for
First, in this text he healeth the man that had the dropsie, in the first sixe verses of the tex….1 The cure of the hydropike man,
Secondly, he doth administer physicke to them at the lest (if he doth not heale) that is,2 The physiking of them that were swelled with pride, Parts of his miraculous cure of the hydrogike man, to their pride, arragancie, and hypocrysie, which chose out the chiefe roomes at feasts, ver. 7.10 the end of the. 11.
In the first and maine generall point of this Gospell, wee must obserue (as oftentimes heretofore)
1 The common kind of occasion and opertunity that Christ tooke, to the end he might do good, to wit, his coming to the chiefe Pharisies house, to eate on the Sabboth day.
2 The occasion which they offered him, to wit, of watching and obseruing his behauiour, first, hereupon propounding to them two questions, ver. 3. to the 5. secondly, of healing the hydropick, ver. 4.
To his first question they would not answere.
To his second, which of you hauing an oxe, &c. they could not answere.
Parts of his ministring phisicke to the proud persons.Our Sauiour and teacher of the best ciuility, beholding the boldnesse and want of good manners in the guests which were at the Pharisies table, takes occasion also to rub their memories, and to mend their manners:
1 Teaching them ciuilitie,1 He teacheth them manners and ciuility, as in the eighth, ninth, & tenth verses.
Secondly, teaching them Diuinity the true ground of good ciuility,2 He teacheth them the ground of ciuility, as in the eleuenth verse.