The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 53
The 21. Sonday after Trinity.
THe foure portions of holy Scripture that are chosen for this dayes seruice,Reasons for the choice of these 4. Scriptures. do commend vntounto vsus the gifts and graces of God, and fruits of the spirit heretofore mentioned, as of faith, repentance, vnfained louelove, &c. with many other more, as may be seene in the particular analyfing, and breaking of them vp.
For first,Summe of the first lesson for Morn. praier. the Prophet Habacuk in preaching against haughtinesse, and lifting vp of a mans selfe, in preaching against auatice, oppression, intemperancy, cruelty, and idolatry, commendes the contrary vertues of humility, mercifulnesse, continency, beliefe and faith in God, with all the fruits thereof.
Secondly, the wise king Salomon, Sūme of the 1, Lesson for euening prayer.in the Proeme of his Prouerbs, takes great paines to perswade vntounto wisdome, consisting in obedience, and faith, & disswading from folly, which is nothing else but infidelity and vnrighteousnesse.
Thirdly, S. Paul, that valiant Marshal of the Lords field,Sūme of the Epistle, mustereth all Christian Souldiers, and traineth them vp in the warfare of this life, being furnished with their complete armour of defence and offence.
Fourthly,Summe of the Gospell. our Lord will teach by his miraculous healing of the Captaines sonne, that his fauour and grace is stretched out as well to the Gentiles as Iewes,Wicked men are reproued for sin, & exhorted to repentance, and that his gifts and calling to both, and of both, are, hauehave beene, and shall bee, without repentance.
Mor. Prayer. 1 Les, Habac, 2.The first of the 4. Scriptures being the first lesson for Morning praier, is written, Abacuk. 2. chap. wherein
Parts.1 Abacucks preparation,First, Abacuck prepares himselfe to receiue his direction from the Lord, what he shall speake in his reproofe of the people. vers. 1.2.3.
2 His reproofe of the wicked ones.In the second place he taxeth and reproueth the wicked ones in particular, as
1. The proud1 The proud, and cruell oppressors, vers. 4. ad 8.
2 The couetous2. The greedy couetous Cormorants and deuourers of the poore, the depopulators of townes and countries, ver. 9. ad 14.
3 The drūkards3. The beastly and filthy drunkards, causing all others to bee drunke, as Ieroboam made Israel to sinne, vers. 15. to the end of the 17.
4 The idolaters4. The idle and vaine idolater in the 18.19. and 20. vers. the three last verses of the chapter.
Eue. Prayer. 1. Les. Prou. 1.The second holy Scripture Prouerbs. chap. 1. being set out for the first Lesson at Euening prayer, comprehendes these principall points.Parts.
1 The instrumentall author and end of the writing of these parables,The first is as touching the author and penne-man of this booke of Parables, who sets downe the end why they were written, and the vse of them, vers. 1. ad 6.
The second is Salomons Exordium to moue attention vntounto the word of God,2 Salomons Preface or Exordiū, the sonne of God, his wise and heauenly doctrine, which he calleth by diuers names, as the feare of the Lord, the fathers instruction, the mothers teaching, and by sundry other titles▪ vers. 7.8.9.
The third is Salomons disswasion and dehortation from hearkening to contrary counsell,3 Salomons dehortation from contrary counsell, which will interrupt the course of our right manner of listning to the best wisedome and counsell, ver. 10, to the end of the 19.
Exhortation to put on the Christian armour,The fourth is Salomons description and declaration of wisedomes zealous cry,4 Wisedomes zealous cry, of Christs lowd calling of sinners to repentance: of the seuerall iudgements of God which wisedome denounceth to the foolish and obstinate, with the promises and blessings to the diligent hearkeners, and obedient, vers. 20. to the end of the 33. the end of the chapter.
The third Scripture chosen for the Epistle, written,Epistle Eph. 6.16. ad 20. Ephes, 6. vers. 16. to the end of the 20. containing the Oration of that valiant Captaine Sant Paul vntounto his Souldiers the Ephesians, Scope & drift of the text.wherein
First,Parts. hee commendes vntounto them inward and spirituall strength and courage, whereby they may the better put on,1 Inward & spirituall courage is commended. and vse their spiritual armour, vers. 10. ad 13.
Secondly, he nameth and describeth the seuerall peeces of armour,2 The names and description of the seuerall peeces of armor whether defending or offending, and sheweth how to apply and vse each peece verse. 14. to the end of the 20.1 Defensiue, as
The first peece of armour defensiue, is the Girdle of Veritie.1 The Girdle of Verity,
The second is the Breast-plate of righteousnesse, 2 The breast-plate of righteousnesse,vers. 14.
The third is shooes for their feet, of the preparation of the Gospell of peace, 3 Shooes of the preparatiō of the Gospell of peace,vers. 15.
The fourth is the most necessary Shield of Faith, 4 Of the shield of faith,wherewith they may quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked one, vers. 16.
The fifth is the Cash or Helmet of saluation.5 The Cash, or Helmet of saluation,
The sixth is the Sword of the spirit, 6 The sword of the spirit,a weapon offensiue,Offensiue, vers. 17.
The seuenth is the weapon of prayer, which is a peece of armour to both vses, as well for our owne defence, as also for the offending of our aduersaries: And pray alwaies, with all manner of supplication and prayer in the spirit, 7 The weapon of praier which is both defēsiue and offensiue,verse. 18.19.20.
The Euangelist S. Iohn, chapter 4. ve. 46. to the end of the 53.Gospell Ioh. 4.46. ad. will confirme vntounto vsus,Scope of this text. Christ is the maker and giuer of all spirituall armour.that our Lord is the giuer of these former gifts, and out of his Panoplie and all-sufficient armory,God is the giuer of these and all other gifts, we hauehave all our armour. That he casts no man in the teeth, no not the people whom hee calles out of the highwaies: for the inhabitants of the country of Galile were to be partakers of his gtace, so well as the Iewes else where, as did appeare in the precedent Gospel.
The vse of this miracle of Christs healing the Rulers son,By this second miracle which our Lord Iesus did (after he was come out of Iudea into Galile) of healing the Rulers son which was ready to dye, Christ himselfe will make it appeare manifestly vntounto vsus, how easie he is to be intreated of al sorts of men:Parts of the text, yea, though their estate and condition bee neuer so dangerous and desperate.1 Generall. The Rulers petion occasioned
The first generall which the text affoordeth, is the Rulers suite Preces & petitiones Regiae vrged.
1 by the state of his sons sicknesse, and 2, Christs presence,1. By wofull occasion of his sonnes sicknesse.
2. By our Lords gracious coming out of Iudea into Galile, vers. 46.47.
The second generall is our Lords behauiour.
2 Generall Christs behauiour whereof there bee two parts,1. In chiding and reprouing them, vers. 48. Except yee see signes and wonders, ye will not beleeue: whereto is annexed the Rulers soft answer, vers. 49.
2. In our Lords giuing content and satisfaction to the Ruler, by doing of the miraculous cure vponupon his son, wherein respect,
2 Considerations in the miracle,1. The deed and miracle it selfe by Christs word and testimony: Go thy way, thy sonne liueth.
2. The confirmation of the deed.
1. By the Rulers faith: And the man beleeued the word that Iesus had spoken, 3 Confirmations of the deedthat is, and hee went away satisfied, vers. 50.
2. The testimony of the seruants which came last from the childe, and met the father homeward, vers. 51.52.
3. The fathers confirmation of his faith, by his comparing and computation of the time: Then the father knew that it was the same houre, &c.
Perswasions to walke in the spirit.The third generall thing to be respected in the miracle (as hath bene obserued in other miracles) is the effect which it wrought. And the ruler beleeued, and all his houshold, 3 Generall effect of the miraclever. 53. being the last verse of the chapter but one.