The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 11
The third Sonday after the Epiphany.
Agreemēt with the former selected Scriptures,THat God of might being almightinesse it selfe, and that Father of mercy who is mercy it selfe, and God of all consolation doth out of the plentifulnesse and ouerflowing of his bounty exhibite himselfe vntounto his Church & people, whether Iewes, or Gentiles, bond or free, Crete or Arabian, Turke, Scithian or Barbarian.
Summe of the two first LessōsAnd therefore by his Prophet Isay, he first offereth himselfe vntounto all: secondly, and vponupon this generall fauour of his exhorts all in generall vntounto iudgement and iustice (after the manner of Iohn Baptist, Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand) for my saluation is at hand, and my righteousnesse to bee reuealed.
Summe of the Epistle & gospelFrom this exceeding bountifulnes S. Paul in our Epistle, exhorts the Romans to be bountifull and mercifull. And S. Matthew shewes it in our Lords practise of it in deed, in healing the Leper and the Captaines seruant when he was come down from the mountaine, as he had preached mercy and meekenesse vponupon the mountaine.
The first of the Scriptures of the old Tastament is Isay 55.Mor. Prayer. 1 Less. Isay 55. wherein our Lord Iesus.
The riches of Christs bountifulnesse.First inuiteth most graciously and proclaimeth most earnestly to all the thirsty, comfortlesse, and monilesse,1 Christs graciously inuites all. the waters, wine, and commodities continually to be had, and that without money, and monie-worth, at his most cheape and euerlasting faire, ver. 1.
Secondly, he reproues them,2 Christ reproues ill husbandry in his people. and expostulates with them for their spirituall infrugality and …bouring in vaine ve. 2.3.
Thirdly, there is a prophecy and promise of Christ vntounto the nations,3 A promise of Christ to the nations. ve. 4.5.
Fourthly, the Prophet exhorts vsus to embrace this saluation, while it may be had. ve 6.4 Exhortation to embrace this saluation offered.
Fiftly, he shewes the manner how to apprehend this saluation: to wit, by repentance. Let the wicked forsake his waies, and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations, &c. 5 The manner how to embrace it:ver. 7.8.9.
In the sixt place the Lord sheweth the ordinary meanes whereby6 The meanes whereby, a man commeth to repentance: to wit, the word of the Lord which is compared to the raine and the snow, ve. 10.11.
In the seuenth there are promises made to the effectuall receiuers7 Promises to the effectuall receiuers. of Christ. ve, 12.13.
The second of our Scriptures out of the old Testament & the first Lesson for euening prayer, is the next chap. following Isay 56.Eue. Prayer. 1 Les. Isay 56 wherein Christ by his holy Prophet.
First, makes vse of the former doctrines by his exhorting of all men to do well,1 Vse of the Prophets former doctrines by exhortation to do well. to keepe iudgement and do iustice: for my saluation (saith he) is at hand to come, & my righteousnesse to be reuealed &c. ver. 1.2.
Secondly, there is a promise:2 A promise. first, to strangers in generall, ve. 3. and secondly, to the Eunuches in speciall, to become members of Gods Church, to dwel in Gods house.3 God graciously taketh away the lets that hinder men in their seruing of God ver. 4.5.6.
Thirdly, the Lord taketh away the lets and hinderances of mens embracing the truth by reason of the ignorance, carelesnesse and wickednesse of their Magistrates, and Ministers, by promising himselfe to be their Sheepheard and leader,Vse of this great fauour, & and sufficiently prouiding for them, ve. 7. to the end of the 12. the end of the chapter: saying. Them will I also bring to mine holy mountaines, and make them ioyfull in mine house of prayer, for myne house shall be called the house of prayer to all people.
Christ p…rformed all this at Pentecost.All this we know was performed in the daies of our Sauiour, and chiefly at that time when he sent downe the largesse of his bounty at the feast of Pentecost. Now from this exceeding bountifulnesse of our Lord,
Epistle. Rom. 12 16. Exhortation to bountifulnesse hindred by reuenge.S. Paul, Rom. 12 16. to the end of the 21. ver. which is the end of the chapter, exhorts the Romans, which were Gentils, and in them vsus all, and all other Gentils, vntounto mutuall kindnesse, lowlinesse, peaceablenes, gentlenes, bountifulnesse; & mercifulnesse. For herein shall a man shew himselfe, a gentle Gentile, a right Christian, a sonne of our heauenly Father, who is the onelyonly Father of mercy. And because nothing more interrupteth our louelove one to another then pride, & haughtines, thinking too well of our selues, wrath, and the effect of wrath, which is desire to be reuenged of him that hath angred vsus: our Apostle therefore,
Parts.First, exhorts1 Exhortation them to mutuall louelove (giuing therewithall caueats against pride and malicious reuenge) and perswades them to hauehave a generall peace with all men. ve. 16.17.18.
Secondly, dehorts2 Deho…tation from auengement.
Thirdly, exhorts3 Exhortation to giuegive place to wrath.
4 ConfirmatiōFourthly, alleageth a Scripture, to force his dehortation & exhortation. ver. 19.
5 Description of a true and holy reuenge.Fiftly, concludes herupon what the true, holy, & Christian reuenge is, to do good to our enemy: first by feeding him when he is hungry: secondly, by drenching him when he is thirsty: which who so doth shall heape coales of fire on his enimies head. ve. 20.
6 How a man may performe this hard precept.Sixtly, because this counsell is durus sermo, and hardly to be digested, but more hardly to be performed, Saint Paul shewes the way how to do it, in the last verse being partly dehortatiue:Chrsts performes the, &c. Be not ouercome with euil: and partly exhortatiue, but ouercome euill with goodnesse. ver. 21.
In the portion of holy Scripture appointed for this daies Gospell,Gospell. Math. 8.1. Math. 8.1. to the end of the 13. we may see the accomplishment of Gods promises concerning his bountifulnesse in Christ, how they are all yea and a men in him. For S. Mathew tels vsus after he had ended his gracious Sermon vponupon the mount, he performed in deed that which he spake before in word.
First in healing the Leper,Parts as he was going to that proud and vnruly city Capernaum (euen as he was in itinere) as in the first foure verses appeareth.1 Cure of the Leper.
Secondly, in his healing the Centurions seruant,2 Cure of the Centurions seruant, at his first entrance into Capernaum, as in the rest of the verses.
The first of these cures he performed,How both these were cured by Christ. by touching & speaking: the second by speaking only, by his power and word without touching. The first miracle he wrought vponupon a Iew an vncleane Leper; the second, vponupon the seruant of an vncleane gentile, though purged & made cleane, by his effectuall and acceptable faith: yea, so great faith as the like was not in Israel.
In the story of the Lepers cure obserue:Obseruations out of the story of the Lepers. first, the occasion which is either generall or speciall:1 Occasion Generall, Speciall. the generall occasion is, the cōcomitance of great multitudes after he was come downe from the mountaine, ve. 1. The speciall occasion the Lepers faith,Speciall occasion, the faith of the Leper. who beleeued, and therefore he spake, and out of the feeling of his misery was vrged to seeke helpe at the hands of the foreign the greatest Physition of all. ver. 2.
The second is the miracle wrought vponupon the Leper,2 Obserue the miracle. And Iesus putting forth his hand touched him, &c. ver. 3.
The third is the charge and commandement that Iesus gaue him: first, in a prohibitiue manner;3 Obserue the charge which Christ gaue the Leper. see thou tell no man secondly, in a preceptiue manner, which is two fold, the first in shewing himselfe to the Priest: the second, in offering the gift that Moses commanded. ver. 4.
In the other relation we hauehave a preface vntounto the Hystory, confirming the truth thereof by circumstances:Generall parts of the story of the paralitiks cure. Entrance into it. first of the persons, first doing and acting it, secondly, or of the patients or sufferers: secondly, the time when twas done: thirdly, the place where, When Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came vntounto him a Centurion, &c. ver. 5.
Hystory it selfe. Speciall parts of the hystory▪In the Hystory it selfe the text doth primo aspectu direct our eyes to behold, and our eares to hearken,
First, the Centurions petition:1 The Centurions petition. Maister, my seruant lyeth at home sicke, &c. ver: 6.
Secondly, to Christs answere,2 Christs answere. I will come and heale him, ver. 7.
Thirdly, to the Centuriōs reply vntounto some part of Christs answere,3 Centurions lowly reply to some part of Christs answere▪ viz. to these words, I will come: in saying, Maister, I am not worthy thou shouldest come; ver. 8. his reason he rendereth for this reply. For I am a man also vnderunder the authority of another, &c. ver. 9.
Fourthly, to our Lords answere, his affectation, approbation, censure, and commendation of the Centurions faith,4 Christ answere and affectation, his censure and commendation of the Centurions faith. When Iesus heard it he maruailed, &c. Verily I say vntounto you, ver. 10. VntoUnto this approbation and commendation of the Centurions faith out Lord Iesus annexeth two seuerall causes or reasons: The first, is taken from Gods secret Election of the Gentils:Christs two reasons of this censure. the second, his Reprobation of the Iewes. But I say vntounto you, that many shall come, ver. 11. And the children of the kingdome shall be cast out. vet 12.
The fift point that we are to hearken vntounto is, Christs finall answere vntounto the Centurion,5 Christs finall answere, in granting effectually that which the Centurion had asked faithfully. by the granting of his petition in the miraculous cure of his seruants desperate maladie, though the sicke man came not neere Christ bodily, neither came Christ personally neere to him. And Iesus said to the Centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast beleeued, &c. And his seruant was healed the same houre ver. 13.