The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 54
The 22. Sonday after Trinity.
THere are two holy Scriptures out of the Prouerbes,Summe of the two first Lessōs chosen for the first Lessons of morning and euening prayer for this day, alluring and entising Gods people by most heauenly rhetoricke and spirituall perswasions to walke in the spirit, which King Salomon cals the way of good men and the waies of the righteous.
Two other of the new Testament do answere the former in a most sweete melodie of the same spirit whereof in the first Saint Paul thankes God heartily that the Phillipians had hitherto continued walking in the fruites of the spirit and fellowship in the Gospell:Sūme of the Epistle & Gospel and hee praies that they may continue therein, that they may bee pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousnesse, &c. In the second S. Matthew doth relate our Lords doctrine concerning our forgiuing of scandales committed one against another, being an infallible testimony of our vnfained louelove one towards an other, and of o…r walking in the Spirit, & not performing the lusts of the flesh.
The first of the selected Scriptures is,Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Prouerb. 2, Prouerbes chapter 2. wherein King Salomon aimes at the same marke, which he leuelled at in the first,Scope of the chapter. keeping the same methode in handling the same matter: Which is,Exhortation to the practise of wisedome… to exhort the children of the Church, to walke in the knowlede and practise of wisedome: neuer giuing ouer this his vaine of spirituall wooing till the latter end of the 9. chapter:Parts of the text.
In this text he doth,1 He exhibites a goodly golden chaine for his sonne to weare,
First, commend a goodly chaine for his sonne (eueryevery true beleeuer) to weare,A golden chaine for a godly man. consisting of a good many chiefe parts and principall linkes. ver. 1. to the 9.
2 A double commodity riseth to him that is obedient herein.Secondly, this wise Counsellour propounds the two-fold commodity that ariseth to eueryevery godly soule, which hearkeneth to this counsell, weares this chaine, & delights his soule in knowledge and obedience,
A perswasion from ill mens company,The 1. good that comes thereof is, it will deliuer vsus from the waies of ill men. ver. 10. to the 15.
The 2. it will preserue vsus from the strange woman, whose dangerous estate he describes (as hee did the mans before) ver. 16 to the 19.A perswasion from il womens company,
Thirdly, vponupon these worthy premisses King Salomon inferreth a most particular and speciall conclusion exhortatiue,3 Salomons conclusion hortatiue vponupon the former doctrines, grounding it vponupon a most sure foundation, first, Gods mercy to the iust and righteous, secondly, his iudgements and punishments to the wicked, ver. 20.21.22. the end of the chapter.
Eue. Prayer. 1 Les. Prouerb. 3In the second selected Scripture, Prouerbes 3 chapter, Salomon a nursing father of the Church,Scope of the text. goes forward in feeding his sonne with the sincere milke of Gods holy word, taking vponupon him the party and person of God himselfe, of Christ,Parts of the text. the fathers wisedome, that hee may teach more profitably and with more authority.
1 A mention of more good arising to the odient, then hee spake of beforeFirst, he shewes that there will more good and commoditiy (then he spake of before) arise vntounto the soule and body of him that will remember Gods word, and treasure vp his commandements within his heart. ver. 1. to the end of the 4.
2 Hee shewes Gods children the way how to performe by 3 obseruationsSecondly, that it may be done with more facility, he shews the way and meanes how to performe it, as,
1 By trusting in the Lord and relying vponupon him for direction. ver. 5.
2 In taking heed of selfe conceit, pride, and haughtines, or trusting in a mans riches, ver, 7. to the end of the 10.
3 In being so humble and lowly as to be content and not to murmure at afflictions and crosses. ver. 11.12.
Exhortation to weare this chaine.In the third part of the chapter hee makes an encomion or commendation of wisedome3 A commendation of wisedome. and her effects, to cause it to be the better affected of all men. ver. 13. to the 26.
In the fourth part he disswades Gods children from many workes of the flesh as interupting the course of this heauenly wisedome, and walking in Gods feare,4 A dehortation from performing the works of the flesh, as as
1 The withholding of good from ohe owners thereof. v. 27.28.
2 Intending hurt against our neighbour. ver. 29.
3 Striuing with a man causelesse. ver. 30.
4 To bee fretted or grieued for the wicked man. ver. 31.32.
In the fifth part of the chapter which is the conclusion he doth (as in the former chapter) propound the fearefull & dangerous estate of the wicked man,5 The dangerous and fearefull estate of wicked men, which is scorneful & a foole (as he termes him) and the happy estate of the righteous man, whom he cals humble and wise. ver. 33.34.35. the end of the chapter.
The third selected Scripture is Phillipians chap. 1. ve. 3. to the end of the 11. containing in it.Epistle Phil. 1.3. ad 11,
1 Either the Apostles hearty thanksgiuing.Parts. 1 Thanksgiuingver. 3. to the end of the 8.
2 Or his zealous prayer.2 Prayer ver. 9. to the 11.
First hee doth heartily and ioyfully praise God for the constant perseuerance and continuance of that people of Phillippi in the fellowship of the Gospell,1 What his thanksgiuing is 2 His assurance of their further proceeding and continuance vntounto the end by three reasons,from the first day vntill now. ver. 3.4.5.
Secondly, he doth assure himselfe and them of their further proceeding and continuance therein vntounto the end.
1 Because God will finish that worke which he hath begun in them. ver. 6.
2 He hath had hitherto good experience of them to confirme his iudgement and opinion of them herein.3 His prayer to God for thē out of this heart-rooted louelove toward them.
3 His louelove is such towards them, that it workes this perswasion in him. ver. 8.
In the third place out of this longing after them & heart-rooted louelove towards them in Christ Iesus, hee conceiueth a prayer vntounto God for their increase,His prayer is for two good ends, A parable propounded to obserue mercy commanded,proceding and aboundance in spirituall graces as knowledge and iudgement, ver. 9. to these ends,
1 That they may discerne things that differ,
2 That they may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ. ver. 10. Both which do arise from this originall, their aboundance, and being filled with the fruite of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vntounto the glory and praise of God. ve. 11.
Gospell.The Lord that knew how hard a thing it is for the froward and crooked nature of man,Scope & sūme of it, to be constant and perseuering in charity, or to purse vp iniuries one after another, doth in this fourth Scripture,A perswasiue commandemēt vntounto that difficult duty of pardoning one another, Math. 18.22. to the end of the 35, among these gifts of the spirit (so often inculcated in these Sondaies after Trinity) perswade the children and Church of Christ vntounto this difficult and necessarie duty of pardoning and remitting the scandales and offences one of another,The generall parts, Saint Matthew will shew vsus Christs intent herein. first in the question which Peter propoundeth, and is answered by our Lord Iesus, ver. 21.22. secondly, by the confirmation, vse and application of that answere in the parable of Creditor and Debitor vttered by Christ from the 23. to the end of the 35. the end the of chapter.
Parts speciall of the text,And forasmuch as aboue all other things, for which God doth call man to account, this is a chiefe, the forgiuing and pardoning of offences,1 The parable, 2 The vse of the parable,Christ therefore vtters it, first, in a similitude of a King that would call his seruants to account, ve. 23. secondly,Parts of the parable, he makes vse of the parable, applying it particularly. ver. 35.
1 The gentlenesse and long suffering of the King the great Creditor,In this simile is to be considered,
First, the gentlenesse and long suffering of the King to his seruant that great debtor, from the beginning of the 23. to the end of the. 27.
2 The vnmercifulnesse & inhumanity of the debtor,Secondly, the vnmercifulnesse and currish dealing of this great bankrupt dettor with his fellow seruant, a small & pety dettor, frō the beginning of the 28. to the end of the 34.
Vnmercifull men shall be paid home in the end,The …udite and county day being come, the bankrupt is brought to the great Creditor,The bankrupt is brought to the audite of the great creditor who
1 Requireth his due debt of him, being a thousand talents, as ver. 23.24.
2 Because the debtor had nothing to pay,1 The debt is acknowledged. the creditor takes order by sale of the debtors goods,2 Good satisfaction must be made one way or other. that satisfaction should bee made. ver. 25.
The vau-rien debtor being at a low ebbe, at a dead lift and in a pittifull case, saw there was no remedy but to hauehave recourse in humiliation to his creditor. ver, 26.What course the bankrupt tooke with his Creditor.
1 By falling downe before him,
2 By a reuerent intreating of him, & by desiring of longer time.
The creditor and Maister of this seruant being more ready to forgiue, then the debtor was able to pay;The mercy and pitty of the Creditor. is
1 Touched with compassion,
2 He loosed the debtors body from his imprisonment,
3 He forgaue him the debt. ver. 27.
How soone this ding-thrist and bad husband had forgotten all these courtesies, S. Matthew tels.The forgetfulnesse and vnthankfulnesse of the great debtor towards a petty debtor cōsisting in three things, But when hee was departed, see how he handled a fellow seruant of his which ought a very small summe.
1 In laying hands on him.
2 Offering to strangle him.
3 Vrging present payment. ver. 28.
His dettor humbled himselfe, though to his fellow seruant, with more then cap and knees, as ver. 29.
That would not serue, but this inhumane creature, the greedy Lyon must hauehave the poore mans carcase, and (as the prouerbe goes) make dice of his bones. ver. 30.
This hard & vncourteous, not vncurreous & vndogged dealing is related to the Maister of them both. ver. 31. who
1 Cals him coram nobis, and rates him soundly. vir. 32.
2 Tels him his duty. ver. 33.
3 Growes angry with him.
4 Puts him in execution. ver. 34.